A Lifetime of Servitude
by tommygirl1115
Summary: During the war, Ginny is forced into taking a job as a maid in Malfoy Manor to help with financial troubles. Working for Draco is as horrible as she had imagined, but she soon witnesses an event that changes her opinion of her longtime enemy forever.
1. Making Ends Meet

A/N: Unfortunately, I do not own Draco Malfoy or any person, place or thing in the Harry Potter Universe. I used to be a Draco/Hermione shipper, but my friend got me into Draco/Ginny, and now I'm hooked. The whole story is written but I'm going to edit each chapter one more time before I put it up so the chapters should come up relatively quickly. Hope you enjoy it!

Chapter One:

Making Ends Meet

Molly Weasley sniffled quietly and wiped her eyes with her apron. She bent over the simple open stove, using her wand to absentmindedly stir the pot of soup above the blue flame. Her eyes were sad and glassy as she stared out into the backyard. A backyard that had once been full of life and laughter. What had happened to that carefree lifestyle? Well, it had never been carefree. But it had certainly been easier than this.

Unconsciously, Molly's eyes darted across the room to a clock hanging on the wall. Seven of the nine hands were pointing to mortal peril. All of her boys were off on the front lines of the war against Voldemort. They were positioned in different places all over England. Some of them were spies. Some of them were with the Aurors, who desperately needed help at this time. Harry Potter was with them. The only person Molly had left in the world was her daughter, Ginny.

Ginny ate little and spoke even less. She was utterly distraught at the loss of her brothers, her father, and her best friend. Even at the present moment, she was most likely to be found sitting on her bed, looking through a box of photographs that she kept hidden in her closet. She would most likely be found with tears streaming down her cheeks as she clutched a picture of her family plus Harry to her chest. Molly knew it was dreadfully unhealthy for Ginny to carry on in such a way, but she knew that if she herself didn't have to be strong for the both of them, she would be doing the same thing.

"Ginny, dear? Dinner is almost ready!" Molly called up the stairs. She did not wait for a response. She knew that Ginny wouldn't answer even if she had heard. Sure enough, a few moments later, footsteps were heard tromping down the stairs. Ginny's face, though it had always been pale, was lifeless and ghostly. Her eyes appeared to have sunken into her face. They too were comatose, having lost their usual sparkle of merriment. Her gray Quidditch t-shirt hung limply from her sickeningly thin figure and her black sweatpants billowed around her skinny legs.

"Eat up, dear. You need to keep yourself well nourished," Molly said softly, placing a bowl of soup in front of her daughter. Ginny looked at it with distaste, but picked up her spoon and began to eat. Molly sat across from her and ate her own soup in silence.

"Daddy sent me a letter today. He says everyone is fine," Molly finally said, conversationally. Ginny nodded, her eyes glistening suddenly. Molly frowned, trying to think of something that would cheer her up. "I cleaned your broomstick this afternoon. You could take it out for a while after dinner if you want."

Silence.

"I think the fresh air would be good for you," Molly pressed.

More silence.

"Ginny, please," she pleaded. Ginny looked up at her mother. She wasn't used to hearing a strong person like her mother pleading with someone so desperately. She felt that she could do nothing but agree to her mother's wishes.

"All right, Mum," Ginny answered quietly.

"Thank you, dear." Ginny nodded and finished her soup in silence. She brought her bowl to the sink and alerted the enchanted sponge that it had work to do. Then she went to the broom closet and retrieved her old Cleansweep 7, which, she had to admit, did look nicer than she remembered it. She stepped outside and the brisk October air met her with an unforgiving chill. Ginny turned to head back inside, but saw her mother sitting at the table with her head in her hands. Feeling a stab of guilt, she decided that it was her duty to obey her mother's wishes.

Braving the cold, Ginny put one leg over the broom and half-heartedly urged the Cleansweep forward. The wind burned her eyes, giving her an excuse for the tears streaming down her cheeks. She circled around the Burrow, allowing her mind to lapse deeply into and out of thought.

She thought about everything. About how Hogwarts had closed when she was about to begin her seventh year. About how all of her brothers had enthusiastically accepted the Ministry's request to participate in the war, despite her pleas. About how Harry had kissed her incase he never got the opportunity to again. There was so much weighing on her thoughts, she was surprised that the broom could even support her. But it did. And it took her away from the stifling depression that her room offered.

Ginny didn't know how long she had been in the air, but when the numbing cold and turned to a stinging cold, she realized that it was beginning to get dark. All witches and wizards were advised to not be outside after dark in a time of war. Ginny returned to the ground and walked in the back door. Her mother was in the same position she had been in when she had left.

"Mum?" Ginny inquired softly. Molly's head snapped up, and she quickly brushed the tears from her reddened eyes.

"Oh! Ginny, darling, you scared me!"

"I'm sorry."

"It's all right, dear. It's all right. How was your flight?"

"Good. Thanks for cleaning it up," Ginny murmured, putting her broom back in the closet. Molly nodded and waved her hand dismissively.

"I have nothing else to do around here," she replied. Ginny hesitated for a moment. She didn't know how to comfort her mother. Ever since she was born, Ginny was always the one being comforted. She had never seen a weak moment in her mother, and now that she did, she wasn't sure what she should be doing.

"I have to go grocery shopping tomorrow. Do you need anything?" Molly asked. Ginny shook her head. Molly sighed and nodded. "All right. I'll probably be gone already when you wake up tomorrow."

"Good night, Mum," Ginny said, walking over to give her mother a hug. Molly got to her feet and embraced her only daughter. She held on tightly, not wanting to let her go, for fear of something happening to her. Ginny felt the tears coming to her eyes, and even though she tried to stem them, they broke free anyway.

"I love you, Ginevra Weasley," Molly whispered. Ginny buried her face in her mother's sweater.

"I love you too, Mum." Before her mother could see how upset she was, Ginny broke away from her mother's embrace and hurried up the stairs. Once she got to the first landing, she placed a hand on the wall for support. Sobs wracked her body, and she slowly slid until she crumpled into a heap on the floor. Downstairs in the kitchen, Molly was doing the same thing.

---

Ginny woke up due to a draft coming in through her broken window. It wouldn't shut all the way, allowing the early morning breeze to filter through. She shivered and pulled the covers up around her. She found that she could see her breath when she exhaled. Sighing, Ginny forced herself out of bed to retrieve her slippers.

Yawning somnolently, she plodded down the stairs to find an empty kitchen. Vaguely she remembered the previous evening when her mother had told her that she was going grocery shopping. As Ginny sat down at the kitchen table with a bowl of oatmeal, she picked up yesterday's Daily Prophet. The front cover sported a picture of frenzied ministry officials as it usually did. She scanned it disinterestedly, making sure that there was nothing important that she should be informed of. Suddenly, a muffled twittering sound interrupted the silence. Ginny looked up.

"Hey, Pig. What do you have for us today?" Ginny asked the tiny ball of feathers as it burst into the room and flew around excitedly. Ginny managed to calm him down enough to seize the letters and newspaper he was carrying before pushing him out the window. She sat down again and fished through the mail to see if anything important had arrived.

Secretly, she was hoping to find a letter addressed to her from Harry. But she didn't know why she kept her hopes up. Harry was probably in hiding. Why would he risk revealing his position just to owl her about his health? He wouldn't, Ginny decided.

An official looking black envelope caught Ginny's eye. It was addressed to the Weasley residence, and it was written in typographic silver ink. Ginny looked at it with puzzlement. She wondered if she should wait for her mother to get home before opening it. Then she shrugged. _It does say to the Weasley residence. I'm a resident of the Weasley residence, aren't I?_ She pushed a finger under the seal and broke it open. She pulled out the professional typewritten letter and read with curiosity.

_ Dear Mr. and Mrs. Weasley,_

_ My name is Gloria Reed. I am the head of the Department of Currency Collection in association with the Ministry of Magic and Gringotts Bank. I cannot fail to notice that your tax payments have not been covered for the past six months. Letters such as this have been sent in the past to ensure that you are aware of your financial situation. _

_ Unfortunately, this is the last warning you will receive. If the sum total of five thousand Galleons is not submitted to Gringotts Bank by the end of October, the Department of Currency Collection has no choice but to evict you from your current housing location. I am very sorry for this inconvenience._

_Sincerely,_

_Gloria Reed_

_Head of the Department of Currency Collection_

Ginny stared at the letter in her hands waiting for the meaning of it to sink in. She had always known that they were having trouble making ends meet with all of the bacon-bringers out of the house, but she had never known that their situation was so dire. Ginny was suddenly immersed in guilt. While she sat around all day in her room, sulking and crying, her mother was trying desperately to handle finances. As if on cue, the front door opened and Molly burst through, carrying two bags of groceries.

"Let me help you, Mum," Ginny exclaimed, dropping the letter on the table and taking one of the bags from her mother.

"Thank you, dear. I only have two bags. The budget is a little low this month," Molly replied, looking down at the floor. Ginny swallowed hard. She hated to give her mother the bad news, but she knew that hiding it from her would be just as bad.

"Mum, we got a letter this morning."

"From who? Daddy?"

"No. Gloria Reed," Ginny corrected softly. Molly's eyes seemed to pool with shame.

"How bad was it?" She asked, trying to sound casual.

"They're going to evict us if we don't have five thousand Galleons by the end of October." Molly put a hand to her forehead and sank into a chair. Ginny remained silent. She watched as her mother's shoulders began to shake with sobs.

"Oh, Mum," Ginny whispered, reaching out to hug her mother. Molly welcomed her daughter into her arms and embraced her tightly. Ginny didn't know what to say as her mother cried onto her shoulder. She felt so helpless. Her mind began to race as she thought of things to do that would earn them money.

"We'll figure something out, Mum. Don't worry. I-I'll sell my Cleansweep. That'll fetch ten Galleons at least since you fixed it up."

"Don't sell your broom, Ginny," Molly protested.

"It's all right, Mum. I don't need it. I'm sure Ron wouldn't mind if we sold some of his Chudley Cannons merchandise, especially if it was to save the house. And maybe, Harry would donate some of his things. There are plenty of people out there who would pay one thousand Galleons just for his autograph."

"I don't know, Ginny. I wouldn't want to get rid of their things without them knowing."

"Send them owls. In the mean time...I'll get a job," Ginny decided.

"A job?"

"Yeah. There must be something I could do."

"I don't want you involved in this war too, Ginny!"

"I promise I won't get involved in the war. I-I could be a maid."

"Ginny, you can barely keep your room tidy." Ginny couldn't help smiling.

"I know, Mum, but when you ask me to clean the house, don't I do a good job?"

"Well..."

"Please, Mum. Let me help."

"All right. Let's go out and get jobs. I'll get one too."

"Good. We're going to make it through this, Mum. I promise," Ginny murmured, hugging her mother tightly.

---

"Look, I can't pay you now, but when I get a job, I'll be able to!" Ginny exclaimed furiously. The newspaper editor was looking at her with contempt. She was trying to place an ad in the newspaper, advertising herself as a maid looking for work. She was unable to pay for the ad space, but she wasn't going to let that stop her.

"How am I supposed to know that you'll actually get a job?" The man asked thickly. His breath smelled of whiskey and cigarettes. Ginny felt like throwing up.

"Because I will, if you advertise me in your paper! Please!"

"No money, no deal," the editor snapped. Ginny glared at the man with such ferocity, his eyes clouded with fear. She turned on her heel and sped out of the office. She was supposed to meet her mother in the Leaky Cauldron in five minutes. Glancing to her right, she noticed an alleyway that Fred and George always used as a short cut. Without thinking twice, she detoured and walked down the alley. She walked swiftly, not wanting to worry her mother. As she was just about to merge back into the busy streets of Diagon Alley, she slammed right into someone.

"Ouch! Watch where you're-" She began, but trailed off when she saw who she had bumped into. Lucius Malfoy was staring down at her with cold steel eyes. Ginny felt suddenly frightened, but she tried not to let it show.

"Well, well, well. Ginny Weasley. What are you doing in a dark alley way?" Lucius drawled. He noted the ad in her hand and snatched it from her. "A maid? I think I could use a maid in the manor."

"Never!" Ginny hissed, backing away.

"Really? What would force you to resort to manual labor of this sort, Miss Weasley? Financial troubles?"

"That is none of your business," Ginny snapped, grabbing the paper back from him.

"Wait, don't bother. I remember hearing something about your misfortunes. Five thousand Galleons in debt, correct?" Ginny didn't even bother to ask how he knew. Lucius Malfoy had more connections than the internet.

"If you would kindly get out of my way, I am late to meet my mother-"

"Wait a moment, Miss Weasley. I am in need of your cleaning services."

"I will not serve you or your family," Ginny spat firmly. Lucius raised an eyebrow.

"What if I told you that I would pay off your five thousand Galleon debt and I would continue to pay you ten Galleons a week?" Ginny froze. She was torn. She didn't know what to do. She knew that working for the Malfoy's would give her mother a heart attack, considering that Lucius was a well-known Death Eater. Even if Lucius' persistence seemed peculiar, Ginny knew that her family needed the money.

"Do we have an accord?" Lucius asked, extending his hand, revealing the ugly scar on his forearm. Ginny hesitated briefly. She felt as though she was making a deal with the devil.

"Am I allowed to quit whenever I want?" Ginny asked carefully.

"In order for me to pay off your debt, you have to at least work for me for two weeks. After that, if you really don't like the handsome wage I am paying you, then you are indeed allowed to leave." Ginny chewed her lower lip as she considered his proposition.

"All right, Mr. Malfoy. You have a deal."

"You did what?" Molly screeched. Ginny winced and apologized to people around them who were glaring. She grabbed her mother's hand and squeezed.

"I'm doing it for our family! I'll be all right, Mum!"

"He's a bloody Death Eater, Ginny! Why didn't you call for help? He would have been arrested!"

"He's paying off our entire debt, Mum! And he'll continue to pay me ten Galleons every week that I work for him. It's not a bad deal."

"Except for the part where he's a slimy, good-for-nothing bastard!" Molly exclaimed. Ginny's eyes were filling with tears. She had just wanted to help.

"I'm sorry, Mum. But with or without your blessing, I am going to Malfoy Manor. I am going to save our family," Ginny stated firmly. Molly looked up at her daughter. When had she gotten to be so headstrong? She could see that there was no reasoning with Ginny. Eventually, she just nodded.

"I'm going to be living here at the Leaky Cauldron. The Department of Currency Collection won't allow me to live at the Burrow without proper finances."

"You'll be back at the Burrow in no time, Mum. I promise."

"You're living at Malfoy Manor, then?"

"Yes."

"You'd better get upstairs and pack your things," Molly murmured quietly. Ginny nodded and started up the stairs. As she was emptying out her closet into a suitcase, she came across the box of photographs she had cried over every single night. Sighing, she crossed the hall to her mother's bedroom. She put the box on the bed, knowing that her mother would need them more than she would. When her trunk was fully packed, Ginny headed back downstairs into the kitchen. Molly was dabbing at her eyes with her apron again.

"Good bye, Mum. I'll owl you every day," Ginny promised as she hugged her mother.

"If you don't, I'm going to worry that something awful has happened."

"Nothing is going to happen to me, Mum. I'll be fine. I can take care of myself."

"I know, dear. At the first sign of trouble-"

"Yes, Mum, I'll come home." The flames in the fireplace turned green and Ginny recognized it as the signal Lucius had promised to send. She took a deep breath and stepped into the flames with her trunk. Through the flickering tongues of fire, Ginny caught one last glimpse of her crying mother before she was whisked away to Malfoy Manor. Molly sank into a chair as her daughter disappeared. Instinctively, she looked up at the clock on the wall. She watched with a sinking feeling in her stomach as Ginny's hand moved with agonizing sluggishness to join the other seven members of the family in mortal peril.

Ginny stepped out of the fire and saw Lucius was there waiting for her. She tried not to show her fear as she walked towards him. He was wearing an ugly sort of smirk on his lips.

"Welcome, Miss Weasley."

Ginny said nothing.

"Crang will lead you to your quarters. I have important business to attend to." Ginny shivered to think what this important business might be. She could not linger on the thought for that much longer, because an unsightly little house elf was tugging on her pants.

"Follow Crang, Miss Weasley," the house elf commanded in a high voice. Ginny levitated her trunk and followed the creepy little house elf up three flights of stairs. When they reached the third floor, Crang suddenly shot forward and ran to the end of the hallway. When he got there, he sprung up into the air and grabbed a string hanging from the ceiling. A rickety, wooden staircase came out of the ceiling and touched the ground with a thud.

"Miss Weasley's room is up in the attic."

"Thank you, Crang," Ginny replied distantly. Crang stared at her as if she had just turned into a hippogriff.

"What did Miss Weasley say?"

"Thank you," Ginny repeated.

"Crang does not know the meaning of the words Miss Weasley speaks." Ginny was filled with pity for the poor house elf. Who did not know what the words thank you meant?

"I am grateful for your help, Crang."

"Crang is happy to serve, Miss Weasley." The bizarre little elf scuttled away, leaving Ginny at the foot of the staircase from the ceiling. Taking a deep breath, Ginny levitated her trunk up ahead of her until she heard it clunk onto the floor. Then she walked the rest of the way up and cursed when she hit her head on the low ceiling. She straightened up as best she could and looked around. The attic was dark, and it smelled of mold. The windows were grimy and did not allow for much light to penetrate.

"Lumos," Ginny muttered. Bright light filled the room. Dozens of bats fluttered around in a panic. Ginny was certain that she saw a rat out of the corner of her eye scurry for cover. She surveyed the room and saw the bed on which she was supposed to sleep. It was moth-eaten, and the springs were showing in a few places. The dresser was carpeted in a thick layer of dust. The mirror was cracked, and there was barely enough space for any other piece of furniture. Ginny sighed and took in her home sweet home. _It's all for the family. I'm doing this for my family._ She told herself over and over while she unpacked her clothes.

Cautiously, she went over to test the bed. She sat down slowly on the mattress. It groaned under her weight, but it seemed all right. She bounced a little on it, and the entire bed crashed to the floor with a deafening thud. Ginny scrambled to her feet and assessed the damage. Unless she wanted to sleep on the floor with the rats, she was going to have to find a new sleeping arrangement.

She descended the creaking stairs slowly, as if afraid that they might break as well, and looked around. She was surrounded by doors. One of them had to be a linen closet. Luckily, it was the first door she selected. She found a sufficient bed sheet and brought it upstairs. She found two rusty nails sticking out of the wood and decided that they were sturdy enough. Then she resourcefully fashioned a makeshift hammock from the bed sheet and suspended it from the two nails. With greater caution this time, she lowered herself into the shell and tested its strength. It seemed to work all right. With exhaustion plaguing her mind, Ginny surrendered to her heavy eyelids and fell into a deep sleep.


	2. Greta

Chapter Two:

Greta

"Get up, sleeping beauty! Rise and shine, freckle face!" A shrill voice commanded. Ginny temporarily forgot where she was. She was not sleeping on her comfortable bed in her safe, warm house. She was in a foreign, cold, dingy attic sleeping in a cocoon. Then it hit her. She was at Malfoy Manor.

"Perk up, carrot top! There's loads to be done!" The voice continued. Ginny lifted her head and stared at the woman who was arousing her from her peaceful slumber.

"Forgive me, but, who are you?" Ginny asked, sleepily. The woman standing above her was short and squat with brown hair turning gray knitted into a long braid down her back. Her face was rosy and her eyes looked squished between high cheekbones and a low brow.

"My name is Greta. You must be Ginny."

"Yes."

"I'm here to teach you everything there is to know about Malfoy Manor and the people who live here. I'm probably the nicest person you're going to encounter in this place, so don't irritate me by getting on my bad side. My worst pet peeve is a person who lollygags about in the morning and doesn't get right to work doing what they're supposed to."

"Sorry, ma'am," Ginny mumbled, rolling out of the hammock.

"Don't call me ma'am. That title is reserved for our mistress. Narcissa Malfoy."

"Right," Ginny replied, running her fingers through her slightly curly hair. "Is there a place where I can-?"

"Of course. There's a third floor bathroom. Last door on your left. When you're done in there, I want you to report downstairs to the kitchen."

"Sure," Ginny responded distractedly as she searched for her toothbrush. "Wait, where is the kitchen?" She asked, but turned around to see that Greta had already left. Ginny sighed and knew that this was going to be a long two weeks.

Every wooden step on the stairs creaked loudly as she descended. She wasn't sure if she should be quieter if god forbid anyone slept on the third floor. When she got to the bathroom, she was shocked by its pristine condition. Actually, coming from her bedroom, even the boy's loo at Hogwarts would be cleaner. Ginny marveled at the clean white tiling and the large glass shower. She was surprised that the Malfoy's were letting her use such a fine looking facility. But, she didn't argue.

After her shower, Ginny felt much better. She used her wand to French braid her long hair before heading downstairs to the kitchens. As she walked down the last flight of stairs, she paused to look at the grandfather clock sitting against the wall. Ginny found herself immediately doing a double take.

"Four thirty?" She whispered out loud.

"Yes! And some of us are still sleeping, you silly servant girl!" A portrait directly behind Ginny snapped. Ginny turned around and found that she didn't recognize the woman in the picture, but decided that she didn't like her anyway. She continued on her way to the kitchen, which she found after two or three trial and error attempts.

"You'll have to be a bit quicker, Ginny. There's a lot you need to accomplish by seven o'clock."

"What happens at seven o'clock?"

"Well, on weekdays, the family has breakfast together."

"At seven in the morning?" Ginny exclaimed incredulously.

"Master Malfoy has a very strict schedule. He runs a very tight ship around here."

"What time is breakfast on the weekends?"

"Master and Mistress eat at nine. Young Master Draco eats whenever he wakes up." Ginny's head snapped up. She had completely forgotten about Draco Malfoy. For some reason, it hadn't occurred to her that when she had agreed to work for the Malfoy's that she would be working for Draco too.

"I need your attention, Ginny. I only want to have to tell you these directions once. Before seven o'clock, the floors in the foyer and the main hall must be spotless; the plants must be watered; the doorknobs polished; the rugs cleaned; the tables dusted; the breakfast made; and if you'd like to make a good impression on the family, the post should be sorted and placed beside their respective plates at the breakfast table." Ginny's mouth was hanging open.

"All of that needs to be done in three hours?"

"Well, now it has to be done in two. You're welcome to get up earlier if you choose." Ginny resolved not to waste more time than necessary in the bathroom the following morning, because she did not want to get up any earlier than four o'clock.

"And they'll really notice if any of these things aren't done?"

"Absolutely. Our Mistress is very talented at noticing things that have not been cleaned. Now, you'll mostly be doing that sort of work in the morning. In the afternoon, you are expected to collect the laundry from each of the rooms and bring it downstairs to the laundry room. You will be expected to do the laundry and make the beds afterwards. Bathrooms connected to the master bedrooms will also need cleaning every other day. The windows on the second and third floors will also be your responsibilities, as well as all the tapestries on those floors. You are also required to do anything that our employers ask of you without question. Lucius, Narcissa, and Draco all have the power to fire you. Remember that."

"Got it," Ginny replied, overwhelmed by the amount of work there was to do. Even with magical assistance, it was going to take a long time.

"Once you have more experience in the house, you will be serving the family breakfast, but more on that when the time comes. Right now, you need to worry about completing all of your chores before seven o'clock."

"What happens if I don't?" Ginny asked fearfully.

"The Mistress will not be happy," Greta said vaguely. Ginny rolled her eyes. _Great_, she thought. _Better get to work._

_--- _

After four days on the job, Ginny was on an entirely different level of exhaustion. She could barely muster up the strength to climb the stairs to her attic room. She was certain that the nails would pull out of the wood when she collapsed into her hammock, but surprisingly they held. She had managed to make it through the past four days without having to interact with Lucius or his dreadful wife. Most importantly, she had managed to avoid Draco. She could not even begin to imagine the ridicule she would get once he found out that she was working for him. Just as Ginny was about to drift off to sleep, a pecking at the window caused her to jump. She got tangled in her sheets and fell clumsily from the hammock.

"God damn it!" She muttered, de-mummifying herself hurriedly. She got to the window and forced it open so that Pigwidgeon could enter. He hooted madly, causing quite a commotion as he fluttered into a stack of picture frames that Ginny hadn't had time to assemble.

"Pig! Shut up!" Ginny exclaimed. "You're going to get me fired!" Pigwidgeon landed on her wrist and hooted happily. She couldn't help smiling as she scratched under his chin and took the letter from his beak. Her heart pounded when she recognized the script on the envelope. It was from Harry.

_Dear Ginny,_

_I can't believe that you're working for the Malfoys. Your mum told your dad who told Ron who told me. I understand why you thought that it would be a good idea, but think about it, Ginny! Lucius is a Death Eater! You could be implicated in any of his schemes. You could be in danger! I know that you want to save the Burrow and your family, but you're only doing your mother damage by being there. And you're doing me damage, Ginny. I'm worried sick about you. I can barely focus on anything. Please, just get out of there so I can know that you're safe._

_Love,_

_Harry_

Ginny frowned. It wasn't exactly the response she had been expecting from Harry. Harry had always been the brave one. He had always been the type of guy to risk everything for the people that he loved. When she was following his example, why did he think that she was wrong? She understood why Harry was concerned, but she knew that Harry didn't completely understand why she was there. Ginny knew that she could take care of herself and her family at the same time. In a few more weeks she would be out of there. She could work along side her mother at the Leaky Cauldron. But while their situation was so dire, Ginny knew that she needed to work for the Malfoys for a least a month to earn enough money to stabilize the Weasley family. She was willing to do that. Promising herself that she would write a response to Harry tomorrow, she returned to her cocoon and fell asleep almost immediately.

Ginny woke up at seven o'clock. It was a Saturday. She was allowed to do that. Grateful for the weekend, she savored the moment when she got out of bed and wasn't overwhelmingly tired. She efficiently took care of business in the bathroom before descending the three flights of stairs to the kitchens.

"Where have you been? You're serving breakfast today!" Greta exclaimed over her shoulder as she scrubbed a pot.

"What?" Ginny demanded.

"I told you last night! You're serving breakfast today! Master and Mistress Malfoy will be in the dining room at nine o'clock sharp, and you'd better be ready!"

"What about Draco?" Ginny asked, a lump forming in her throat.

"Yes, yes. Him too, but I don't know what time he'll be rising. It's different every weekend." Ginny took a moment to consider suicide, but Greta impatiently pushed Ginny towards the dining room.

"Go and make sure that everything is presentable!" Greta commanded. Ginny stepped into the dining room. It was lavishly decorated with expensive paintings and tapestries covering the walls. The table was made of shining dark oak with a cliché bowl of fruit in the center. The candles on either side of the bowl were already lit, but the wax did not seem to be melting. Ginny took a moment to marvel at this before scouring the room for any signs of filth. After she was certain that the room looked perfect, she returned to the kitchen. As soon as she entered, Greta thrust a silver platter of sausages into her hands and pushed her back through the door.

"Set the table!" She heard Greta instruct from the kitchen. Set the table she did. Ginny arranged the food platters as best she could across the entire table. She set places for Lucius and Narcissa at the heads of the table, assuming that that's where they would sit.

"They're coming! Get in the kitchen, Ginny!" Greta called. Ginny's heart thumped madly in her chest as she retreated into the kitchen. Greta pushed a pitcher of pumpkin juice into Ginny's hands. "All right, Ginny. Listen carefully. When you're on breakfast duty, all you have to do is stand in the dining room as the Master and Mistress eat their breakfast. You tend to their needs; pour their pumpkin juice when they ask for it and only if they ask for it. This leads me to the most important rule of breakfast duty. Do not, I repeat, do not speak unless you are spoken to. And when you answer, use as few words as possible. Do you understand me?"

Ginny nodded. She felt as though she were about to be sick.

"All right. Get out there." Greta shoved Ginny through the door before Ginny could compose herself. She burst into the dining quite gracelessly, but recovered quickly. She curtsied briefly to Lucius and Narcissa before taking her place in the corner of the room.

"Pumpkin juice," Lucius ordered from his seat. Ginny hurried over to him, her legs shaking like she was a newborn calf. She poured slowly into his goblet to ensure that she would not spill anything. When she was finished, she looked expectantly at Narcissa, but the pointed chinned woman did not ask for pumpkin juice. In fact, she seemed to be intentionally avoiding Ginny's eyes. Ginny retreated to her corner and tried to slow her racing heart. She distantly heard Lucius speaking to his wife in a low voice. She did not attempt to listen. She was only concerned with making it through breakfast.

It was almost over when it happened. Ginny was so relieved when she saw Lucius gathering himself to stand up that she almost jumped the gun to start clearing the table early. Narcissa, however, did not move right away. She waited for her husband to leave. Then she stared icily at Ginny.

"I'm going to make something clear, Jenny-"

"It's Ginny."

"Excuse me?" Narcissa snapped.

"My name is Ginny," Ginny repeated quietly. Narcissa appeared to be considering what course of action to take. A servant had apparently never spoken her to in such a manner.

"You will not have to worry about what name I call you if you continue to address me in such a way," Narcissa finally stated. Ginny looked down at the floor.

"I'm sorry, ma'am," she grumbled reluctantly.

"Now, before I was so rudely interrupted, I would like to make something clear. My husband may have hired you for your pretty face and your youthful air, but I have much higher qualifications for my servants around this manor. You will never look me directly in the eye, even when I am addressing you. You will remain on call twenty-four hours of the day incase I am in need of something. You will run my errands when I am too busy. And if I ever hear that you are using your assets to your advantage in this house, I will put you right back on Poverty Lane. Do you understand me, Ginny?" Narcissa's voice had risen nearly two octaves by the end of her speech. Ginny could do nothing but nod in response. With that, Narcissa rose from her chair and departed from the room.

Lucius was waiting for his wife in the foyer. He was leaning against the banister of the staircase, shaking his head at her.

"What?" Narcissa snapped furiously.

"Be nice to the little blood traitor, Narcissa," Lucius replied calmly. "She could be very useful to us."

"Useful to us? Don't you mean, useful to you?" Narcissa retorted.

"Don't scare her away, Narcissa. I could never forgive you if you ruined this chance for me," Lucius said, suddenly sounding dangerous.

"Ah, yes. Of course. Tit for tat with your old chum, Voldemort. Do you really think he's going to reward you for this?"

"The opportunities are endless with Ginny Weasley in our clutches. Which is why you cannot frighten her away. This is a very delicate situation."

"Delicate, my ass," Narcissa hissed. "All you have ever thought about is yourself. Why should this be any different?" She gave him one last glare before heading up the stairs. Lucius glanced around making sure no one had witnessed the spat before he followed.

Back in the dining room, Ginny took a deep breath and sunk into a chair to regain her composure. Was what Narcissa had said about Lucius true? Had he only hired her because she was young and pretty? The thought was nauseating. Ginny clutched her stomach and reached out for a glass of water. She took a few sips, treasuring the feel of the cool liquid pouring down her throat. Her mind slowly became less cluttered as she allowed more oxygen into her system. When she was finally ready, she got to her feet and began clearing Lucius' and Narcissa's plates. She left the food out for when she needed to serve Draco--another stomach lurch--but she used a quick heating spell to keep the food warm before returning to the kitchen.

"How did it go, Ginny?" Greta asked, dropping a dish into the soapy water and hurrying to Ginny.

"I-it was scary," Ginny replied, still in a trance-like state.

"Uh oh. What did she say?" Greta asked gravely. Ginny stared at Greta.

"How did you know?"

"Narcissa is always cruel to young servant girls. She feels as though Lucius hires them for his own entertainment. She's scared away quite a few servants with the way she talks to them. Don't let her intimidate you. That's what she wants," Greta said comfortingly. Ginny nodded, not immediately accepting the consolation Greta was offering. She was still in shock.

"Is she right? About Lucius?" Ginny asked with a shaky voice. Greta chuckled.

"Lucius' only attraction is to power. I don't think you need to worry about anything." Ginny began to feel better. She helped Greta with the dishes and went upstairs to wash up before she was needed to serve Draco. Greta promised to contact her when Draco was ready. Ginny walked into the bathroom on the third floor and stared into the mirror. She had been eating much better at Malfoy Manor than she had been at the Burrow. Her eyes looked less sunken into her face and her collarbone wasn't protruding so much. A healthy glow had been restored to her cheeks, and her hair was shiny and thick. Noticing that her French braid was falling out towards the bottom, she began to unravel it to redo it. Right in the middle of the process, her wand tip turned blue and vibrated against her hip. It was Greta letting her know that Draco was going to be heading down for breakfast soon.

"Shit," Ginny mumbled, rushing out of the bathroom. She ripped her hair out of the rest of the braid and finger combed the curly red locks as she bounded down the stairs. She burst into the kitchen and refilled the pitcher of pumpkin juice with such haste, she almost overflowed it.

"Your hair is supposed to be up, Ginny!" Greta called from across the kitchen. Ginny searched her pockets for a spare elastic band, but found that she was lacking.

"I don't have anything to put it up with!"

"Well, it's too late now. You're lucky it's just Draco and not his mother." Ginny thanked god for that. She paused in front of a particularly large saucepan and examined her appearance, which suddenly mattered. She was wearing what all the servants were required to wear: a plain white t-shirt that clung to her shapely body and a dark green pencil skirt that just touched her knees. On her feet were black flip-flops. She had taken off her loafers as soon as she had finished serving Lucius and Narcissa. They were still upstairs in the bathroom.

"Shit. Does anything else want to go wrong while I'm on a roll?" Ginny asked the ceiling. As if to spite her, one of the servants passing with a pot of cold water to be boiled slipped and spilled some of the water on Ginny's shirt.

"I'm sorry!" The servant exclaimed, looking as though she was about to die.

"Don't worry. It's not your fault. It's just my luck," Ginny replied sourly. She quickly dried herself off with a flick of her wand. Moments later, Greta was ushering her towards the dining room door.

"Remember, don't speak unless you are spoken to!" Greta whispered. Ginny's heart was racing like a galloping horse. She paused in front of the door and took a deep breath. With all the strength and dignity she could muster, she pushed open the door and stepped inside the room.

Draco was sitting at the head of the table where his father had sat. He was scanning the Daily Prophet. His hair was a darker shade of blonde than Ginny remembered. Then she realized that it was because his hair was wet. Draco had not even looked up when she entered the room.

"Pumpkin juice," he demanded in a way that reminded Ginny of Lucius. She swallowed hard and moved towards him. She could smell his spicy after-shave as she poured pumpkin juice into his goblet.

"Is my father working today?" Draco asked suddenly, causing Ginny to jump. The pumpkin juice splashed onto the tablecloth. Ginny wanted to die right then and there. But of course, God was not kind enough to spare her at that moment. Draco finally glanced up from the Prophet and saw who had been serving him. First, he appeared confused. Then, his eyes glittered with malice.

"Well, well, well. I guess it was only a matter of time before you ended up working as a servant girl," Draco sneered. Ginny set her jaw and continued to wipe the tablecloth as though he hadn't said anything. "This could be fun, couldn't it, Weasley? I could get used to you tending to my every need and respecting the hell out of me."

"My job description says nothing about respecting my employer's son," Ginny muttered through gritted teeth. Draco grabbed Ginny's wrist suddenly, startling her.

"You'd better respect me, Weasley. Or I'll turn you onto the streets. I can do that, you know."

"I'm aware, Malfoy."

"I think you'd better start calling me Your Highness."

"Never," Ginny spat. Draco's grip on her wrist tightened. She struggled to break free, but he held her steadily. Ginny was suddenly afraid of him. The evil and malice in his eyes was making her uncomfortable. She didn't trust him.

"Unless you want the rest of your family to pay through the nose for your insolence, you'll want to be calling me Your Highness," Draco muttered quietly. He released Ginny roughly and she backed away from him quickly, massaging her wrist. "Isn't your hair supposed to be up, Weasley? Or are you too good to follow the rules?"

Ginny remained silent. She couldn't see herself winning this battle.

"Clever girl," Draco drawled, standing up. "Knows when to hold her tongue." Ginny wanted desperately to lash out. She was tempted to do very illegal things, but she managed to control herself. _It's for the family_, she told herself silently. Draco walked up to her and stopped when their faces were inches apart.

"When I get back from Quidditch practice, my room had better be spotless. No other servant is to help you clean it. If I find anything that hasn't been cleaned, I will make sure that you are punished," Draco threatened. His gray eyes were cold and unforgiving...like his father's. Ginny stared back at him without showing emotion or fighting back. She watched him give her a quick once-over glance before leaving the dining room. Ginny exhaled sharply and felt like crying. Not only was Narcissa going to make her miserable, but so was her idiot son. Now that he knew that she was there, he would be torturing her for every little trivial thing. And she hated him for it.


	3. The Promise Ring

Chapter Three:

The Promise Ring

Ginny's wand tip ignited with blue light as it vibrated on the dresser. She woke up angrily, throwing off her covers and pulling on her required uniform. She picked up her wand and pressed the tip to her throat.

"What do you want now, Malfoy?"

"I'm sorry. What did you say, Weasley?" Ginny sighed heavily.

"What can I do for you, Your Highness?" She corrected herself. She almost gagged on the words themselves. She could feel Draco's smirk as he responded.

"I would like a glass of water."

"There's water in your bathroom. Get it yourself," Ginny grumbled.

"I want fresh water. From the well."

"From the well? Are you out of your bloody mind? It's the middle of the night! I'm not going outside to get you water from the bloody well!" Ginny shouted.

"Excuse me, Weasley? Don't forget your place. Now could you repeat that?"

"I'll be there shortly, Your Highness," Ginny muttered. She flicked her wand and the blue light faded. "Lumos." Ginny got herself together and went downstairs. She first went to the kitchen to retrieve a glass. Then she threw on a jacket and went outside. It was pitch black. The only light on in the house was in Draco's room. She could see him silhouetted against the window as he watched her, probably laughing his ass off, scurrying across the grass towards the well. Ginny shivered as she cranked up the heavy pail. She finally got the bucket up and poured the water into the glass. Then she returned to the house as quickly as she could without spilling any, because she knew that if she did, Draco would make her do it again. She made it up to Draco's room and she rapped obnoxiously on the door.

"Shh! My parents are sleeping!" Draco snapped when he opened the door for her. Ginny glared at him with the ugliest face she could manage. She thrust the glass of water into his hands and turned on her heel. She was halfway down the hall when Draco called after her.

"Can I get some ice for this?" He asked in a whisper. Ginny paused in mid-step. She was going to lose it. She felt herself cracking. Breaking.

"Malfoy...I am going to kill you," she whispered.

"What?"

"I'll be right back."

"That's what I thought you said," Draco said smugly. Ginny flashed him a glare as she walked past him to the staircase. She checked the grandfather clock in the foyer as she came back up the stairs with a separate glass of ice.

"If it's three o'clock now, why should I even bother going back to sleep for an hour?" Ginny asked herself.

"As long as it gets you away from me so I can at least get some rest!" The nasty portrait that had harassed Ginny the first night snapped. Ginny glanced over her shoulder at the woman and rolled her eyes.

"Oh, shove it, Medusa," Ginny muttered, referring to the woman's wild hairstyle. The woman gasped in shock.

"An insult! Why, when Narcissa hears about this-"

"I'm sure Narcissa loves to listen to portraits bitch about the servant girls all day. It's not like she has better things to do than speak to a painting," Ginny retorted. _Oops. That might come back to bite me in the ass down the line_, Ginny thought. Then she looked up at the flustered face of the woman in the portrait and decided that it had been worth it.

"Here's your ice, Your Highness," Ginny growled, shoving the glass at Draco.

"Pleasant dreams, Weasley!" Draco whispered after her. Ginny thought about telling him that it was his fault that she wasn't going back to sleep, but determined that it was better to just let it go for now. She went up to the bathroom to take a shower. In the midst of washing her hair, she saw a flash of blue light out of the corner of her eye. She groaned and rinsed out her hair quickly before grabbing a towel.

"What now?" She demanded loudly of the showerhead. Towel wrapped around her body, she stepped out of the shower and retrieved her wand. "Yes?"

"The drapes in my room are open and I can't sleep with the sunrise coming in the window," Draco informed her.

"So get up and close them. Problem solved."

"I don't want to get out of bed."

"You interrupted my shower because you are too lazy to get out of bed and close your god damn drapes?" Ginny demanded shrilly.

"I'll expect you down here in five minutes," Draco responded as though she hadn't said anything. Ginny wanted to punch a wall. Better yet, Draco's face. She managed to subdue her violent urges as she put on her uniform and went downstairs to shut Draco's drapes. He didn't even utter a thank you as she left the room. Not that she expected it of course.

Later that morning, Ginny convinced Greta to let someone else take breakfast duty. Ginny promised to explain later. Instead, she got started on the laundry. She brought the bed sheets from the master bedroom down to the laundry room and started washing. When they were clean and fresh smelling, she dried them with her wand and brought them back upstairs. Narcissa was sitting at the vanity applying lipstick. She glanced briefly at Ginny, and then proceeded to ignore her. Ginny set to work making the bed. When Narcissa had finished primping, she stood and walked over to watch Ginny make the bed. Ginny felt the cold blue eyes on her back but she did her best to ignore them.

"Take them back," Narcissa finally said coldly.

"What? Why?" Ginny demanded.

"You missed a spot," Narcissa replied sharply. Then she gave Ginny a fake smile before disappearing into the bathroom. Ginny walked around to the other side of the bed to see what Narcissa had been talking about. There was a tiny smear of red lipstick on the sheet; the same red lipstick Narcissa had just been applying at the vanity. Ginny's blood boiled. She considered not washing it again and just leaving it to see if she'd notice. But Ginny decided not to chance it. Jaw set in determination to stay calm, she gathered the sheet and took it back downstairs.

"Narcissa?" Lucius called as he walked into the bedroom. "Ginny looked upset when I passed her in the hallway. Did you say something to her?"

"Are you serious, Lucius? Is this how it's going to be? You're going to defend that stupid girl just because you think Voldemort is going to come through in spades for you?" Narcissa screeched, her voice sounding more shrill as it echoed off the bathroom walls. Lucius winced and rubbed his temples with his fore fingers.

"Must you shout?" He complained. Narcissa appeared at the door.

"Perhaps you should talk to your son about not foiling your plans. He's been abusing his authority over her, and it could lead to-"

"Nonsense," Lucius said dismissively. "Draco knows better than to associate with her lot."

"He's free-spirited, Lucius."

"I know."

"And it's your fault."

"I know. But I'm going to fix that soon enough."

"Leave me out of your little schemes from now on, Lucius. I'm going out. Don't wait up," Narcissa snapped, leaving the room abruptly. Lucius sighed, grateful for the sudden silence.

When Ginny returned with the freshly laundered sheet the next time, it was not Narcissa, but Lucius who was present. He sat in an emerald green armchair reading the Daily Prophet. But when Ginny entered, she felt his eyes on her just as she had felt Narcissa's. Ginny went about making the bed as though he was not there, but that became increasingly difficult when he opened his mouth.

"I apologize for my wife's behavior. She becomes insanely jealous of younger, more beautiful witches," Lucius drawled smoothly. Ginny did not respond. She didn't know how. "She'll be out of the house for a few days this week so you won't have to deal with her. And neither will I." Ginny felt awkward hearing Lucius talk about his wife that way.

"Excuse me, Sir," Ginny muttered and left the room before he even had a chance to open his mouth again. She ran down to the kitchens, intending to stay out of sight until Lucius left for work. What his work was specifically, she did not know. She inferred that she probably didn't want to know either.

---

Ginny set about her last task of the day. The sun was setting, casting long shadows down the second floor corridor. Ginny held her wand aloft and conducted the feather duster in lazy circles. Tapestry maintenance was the most boring task she had come to encounter. As Ginny made her way down the row of thirty-seven tapestries, she heard muffled shouts coming from Draco's room. Mere curiosity brought her to the tapestry in front of his room. Her distracted cleaning led her to dust a hanging plant for five minutes straight. The flowers had no petals left when Ginny finally realized what she had been doing.

"Draco, you will come with me to the meeting, and that is final!" Lucius was bellowing.

"I'm not going anywhere with you! I have an interview with the Chudley Cannons scout that same afternoon. I wouldn't give up that interview for anything!" Draco shouted back.

"You and your silly Quidditch!"

"I can make a living with Quidditch, Father! Do Death Eaters have a salary?"

"We are repaid in better ways than money, Draco."

"It doesn't matter. I've already been recruited by a bunch of international teams. I am joining one of them whether you like it or not!"

"It's a stupid, childish dream! You'll grow out of it in a few years and realize that I was offering you everything and you refused it!"

"It's not stupid, Father! I would rather play Quidditch than run around in black masks killing people!" Draco retorted. A sickening thump was heard and Ginny winced. She could only imagine what Lucius had done.

"Is that what you think it is?"

"Everyone knows that that's what Death Eaters do."

"It's not just running around in masks killing people, Draco! We're purging the world of those who are unworthy of life."

"Why do you get to decide who is worthy of life?"

"I do not. The Dark Lord decides."

"Who made him King of the World? He has no right to say that any one person has more of a right to live than another!"

"You are a disgrace, Draco! You are weak!" Another thump. "I am ashamed to call you my son! Crucio!" Ginny's mouth fell open in horror. Sure, Draco was a git, but no one--not even Draco Malfoy--deserved that from his father. Ginny's stomach twisted as she heard Draco scream in pain. She was halfway across the corridor when she realized what she was doing. She couldn't just burst in while Lucius was on a violent rampage. He might hurt her. She realized how selfishly she was thinking, but decided that staying out of it was best. She did feel bad for Draco, but she wasn't ready to risk her life for him. She continued to absentmindedly dust everything but the tapestry.

Soon the screaming stopped. The room was silent. Footsteps swiftly approached the door. Ginny quickly hid behind the long, flowing drapes. Maybe he would still hurt her if he thought she had been listening. She waited until his footsteps had gone down the length of the corridor and had begun ascending the stairs before daring to come out of her hiding place. Silence still immersed Draco's room.

In her mind, Ginny attempted to rationalize going into his room. Maybe she could say that she had forgotten to dust the vanity. No, that was lame. Maybe...oh, never mind. She'd make it up as she went along. Timidly, Ginny crossed the hallway and peered both ways, as if expecting Lucius to return with a branding iron. When no one came, she reached for the doorknob and twisted it. A gust of cold air met her with brusque inhospitality. She sidled into the room and shut the door behind her. Draco was nowhere in sight. She quickly crossed the room and shut the windows that were wide open. When she turned around she gasped.

Draco was lying on the floor, motionless. Ginny could not bring herself to move. Was he dead? She began to get faint at even the notion of him being dead. As she had pointed out to herself before, Draco could be a git, but he didn't deserve this. Finally, Ginny forced herself forward. She knelt down onto the floor and touched his wrist. His pulse was faint, but nonetheless there. She breathed a sigh of relief. Then she looked at his pale skin. He wasn't wearing a shirt; just black sweat pants. A bruise was already forming on his left cheek and his lip was bleeding slightly.

Ginny glanced around to evaluate her options. Finally, she decided to haul Draco to the bed and she could tend to his wounds there. It took many attempts and many breathers before she eventually lifted him onto the bed. She pulled the covers up to his waist and went to his bathroom to assess the medical supply situation. All she could find were a few washcloths and a soothing cream. She wet one of the washcloths with cold water and placed it on his bruising cheek. Then she retrieved the soothing cream and read the label out loud to herself.

"For emotional or physical pain brought about by particularly nasty curses. Apply generously to affected area and enjoy the cold to warm sensation this soothing lotion provides. Wow, Draco must use this quite a lot," Ginny muttered. She took her ring off of her left hand and placed it on the bedside table before starting to apply the lotion to Draco's chest. She tried not to be turned on by the strong abdomen and sinewy muscles of his chest. She tried not to enjoy it too much when she massaged the lotion into his powerful arms, shaped by years of Quidditch.

When she had finished tending to Draco, she pulled the covers up to his neck and stared at him for a moment. He looked so peaceful when he was sleeping. He looked almost angelic with his crown of blonde hair hanging in his face. His eyes were no longer contorted in pain. In fact, his lips were curved upwards in an almost content looking smile. Ginny almost hated to leave him. She had just had the most pleasant hour with Draco Malfoy...and he was unconscious. There was not much to be said about that, but she couldn't help but think he was adorable when he was asleep.

Ginny returned to her attic room and found Pigwidgeon waiting for her. He hooted enthusiastically when he saw her and started flying around in circles. Ginny groaned and swiped at him.

"Pig! Knock it off! Just give me the letter!" She complained. Pigwidgeon obliged. "Letters," she corrected herself when she saw that there were multiple envelopes for her.

_Dear Ginny,_

_I hope that you are well. I really hope that you are going to be getting out of there soon. It's not safe for you to be there. Lucius has just been suspected of involvement with the killing of an Auror yesterday. There is not enough proof, but we know what kind of a wizard he is and we can't disregard that. Besides, I'm sure that Malfoy is making your life a living hell. Bloody git. If he gives you a hard time, Ginny, I promise that I'll give him what's coming to him._

At Harry's threat, Ginny's heart constricted. On a normal circumstance, Ginny would have laughed at Harry's blind rage. But after hearing Draco being tortured so severely by his own father, Ginny couldn't even smile at Harry's irrationality.

_I'm doing well, though I can't tell you where I am. They move me to a different location every day so I can't be tracked. We're really close to finalizing battle plans. I can't tell you any more here. Are you going to the Burrow for Christmas? I think everyone is coming. I hope you can make it. If you can't, we'll invade Malfoy Manor and have Christmas there. Well, I have to get going now. I miss you so much, Ginny. I hope you know what you're doing._

_Love,_

_Harry_

Ginny sighed and went to the next letter. She recognized her mother's handwriting immediately.

_Dear Ginny,_

_I miss you so much, dear! I can't wait until I can see you again! When can that be? They can't possibly need you every day of the week. I really appreciate the sacrifice you have made to save the Burrow, but it is already two weeks into November. Don't you want to come home and work in the Leaky Cauldron with me? We'd be able to make ends meet that way. I just don't like the idea of you in that cold, mansion with the cruelest human being alive. I really wish you would come home, Ginny. Send Pig back with a letter please. I do look forward to your letters. I want to know that you're well. I hope that you will be able to come home for Christmas. Everyone will be coming. I love you, Ginny._

_Love,_

_Mum_

Ginny's eyes were tearing by the end of her mother's letter. She missed her mother as well. She wanted to go home as much as her mother wanted her home. She missed her own room and her own bed. But she felt bound to the Malfoy Manor. Not because Lucius offered her a brilliant financial situation, but because she felt like she was a part of the household now. She felt as though she had a duty to uphold to the house. Especially to Draco. Especially after what had happened to Draco. If she hadn't been around to tend to his wounds, what would have happened to him? His bruises would have swelled to the size of grapefruits and he wouldn't be able to walk. She had practically saved his life. She felt like he needed her, whether he wanted to admit it or not. And that felt good.

---

Draco woke up with an aching in his left cheek. He reached up to touch it and winced when he found a bruised area. He was surprised to find that it was not swollen. He was also shocked to find himself in his bed. How did I end up here? He wondered. The last thing he remembered was his father shouting "Crucio!" That wasn't an uncommon memory. It might have been from a while ago. But he felt his whole body ache as he tried to sit up. He glanced around and saw that his windows were also closed. Something he didn't remember doing. He managed to sit up; something he was never able to do after his father performed the Cruciatus Curse on him. Draco walked stiffly into the bathroom to retrieve his soothing cream, but found it missing. He looked around for it and found it on his bedside table.

"What the hell?" He muttered out loud to himself. He picked up the cream and felt that the outside of the container was a little slippery which meant that someone had applied the lotion recently. His hands didn't smell of it nor were they slippery. He finally concluded that someone had to have helped him. But who? His mother had left for a shopping spree in Paris. None of the servants would have been in his room and his father certainly wouldn't have helped him. Sighing he glanced down at the bedside table where he had found the cream. Then he froze. He sank slowly onto the bed and stared.

With slender fingers, Draco reached out and picked up a small silver ring with emerald hearts embossed into its surface. Draco racked his brain. Where had he seen this ring before? It seemed familiar to him. He let his mind wander back to breakfast a few weeks ago when Ginny had served him. That ring had been on her left hand. A peculiar feeling crept over Draco as he realized what had taken place.

Ginny Weasley had helped him.

If she helped him, then perhaps she had heard the argument he was having with his father. That would be humiliating, considering that no one really knew what kind of passion he possessed for Quidditch. It was slightly embarrassing for him. Not only was the Quidditch element mortifying, but also the fact that she witnessed his own father abusing him that way was horrifying. Draco had always been ashamed of that and he had done his best to hide it. Now, she knew. Was she going to tell someone about it? Draco was suddenly worried.

But at the same time, a strange calm had crossed his mind. One thought kept running over and over in his mind. He tried to make sense of it, but he eventually gave up and just marveled at it. It was a thought that would change his opinion about a certain red headed girl forever.

Ginny Weasley had helped him.


	4. You Owe Me

Chapter Four:

You Owe Me

Ginny used her wand to twist her red hair into two French braids that hung to her shoulders. She smoothed out her dark green skirt and examined a tiny stain just above the hem. Rolling her eyes, she made a mental note to wash it before she went to bed. It was a Thursday morning. Narcissa was out of the manor until Monday. Ginny could not help but be relieved. Narcissa had been a complete nightmare. She would make Ginny repeat the most difficult and tedious tasks if she was not entirely satisfied. Most of the time, there was no legitimate reason for her to demand that Ginny do something over again. But she insisted upon it anyway.

The house was glowing pink with the promise of dawn lingering on the horizon. Ginny walked past the windows on the second floor--which she had washed three times the previous day--and could not help but marvel at the beauty of her surroundings. Sure, the house was cold and dreary, but whenever she could, she volunteered to do outdoors work. It was a whole other world outside those big oak doors. When Ginny was working outside, she could swear that she felt alive again. Trapped within the walls of Malfoy Manor, she almost felt like a ghost. She imagined that this was how Sir Nicholas at Hogwarts always felt; alive without a heartbeat.

"Quit dillydallying, Ginny! You know that's my pet peeve!" Greta snapped in a low voice, as she brushed past the young witch. Ginny rolled her eyes but smiled.

"Since Narcissa is gone, have you assumed the duty of nagging bitch?" Ginny asked. Greta whirled around with wide eyes.

"Bite your tongue, Ginevra! God forbid Master Lucius hears you!"

"He hates her as much as I do. Actually, he think he hates her more."

"Stop insulting your mistress and get down to the kitchens. Lucius will be dining at six thirty this morning. He has business to attend to."

"When will Draco be dining?" Ginny asked, trying not to sound too interested.

"At the usual hour. It is only Lucius' schedule that has altered." Ginny nodded and followed Greta down the stairs to the kitchens. She served Lucius his breakfast at six thirty without incident. When Draco came down to the table at seven o'clock, Ginny felt her heart racing in her chest. She took several deep breaths before waltzing into the dining room with her pitcher of pumpkin juice. Draco did not look up at her right away. He scanned his Quidditch Weekly magazine with sharp gray eyes. Ginny waited in nervous anticipation. Was he going to say anything to her? Did he know that she had helped him the previous night? And if he did, what did he think?

"Pumpkin juice," he finally ordered. His voice had lost its arrogant edge. Ginny couldn't help but notice the absence of its usual cruelty. She walked over to the table and poured the juice into his goblet. When she had finished, she hesitated, waiting for him to say something more.

She dared to look down into his stormy eyes. She had never noticed their true color. They had always seemed gray from a distance, but upon closer examination, Ginny realized that they were a pale shade of blue with silvery flecks. They were deep and meaningful when they weren't scrunched up in anger or disgust. Draco and Ginny connected in that moment. They shared a moment of realization.

"Give me your hand," Draco suddenly demanded. Ginny blinked.

"What?"

"Just do it." Ginny lifted her small, petite hand and extended it towards him. Draco took it and touched the base of her ring finger, which Ginny had just realized was empty. She would have been more concerned about it except for the strange jolt her heart had taken at his touch. "Missing something?" He asked slyly. Ginny withdrew her hand quickly and nodded. She could feel her face filling with color.

"Y-yes, actually. I am." Draco reached into his pocket and produced the ring. He held it out to her and she took it from him. Ginny didn't feel quite so naked anymore with her ring in place.

"It's quite boring, that ring of yours," Draco commented as he picked up Quidditch Weekly once again. Ginny frowned.

"It's a promise ring."

"A what?" Draco asked, glancing up from his magazine. Ginny felt her face growing warm.

"A promise ring. A boy gives it to a girl. It's a way of promising to love her forever," she explained in a quiet voice. Draco snorted.

"What a bizarre tradition. So, who gave it to you?" He asked casually.

"What business is it of yours?" Ginny snapped. Draco looked up and stopped chewing on his toast. He regarded her with his curious blue eyes.

"None, I suppose. Aren't you going to tell me anyway?"

"Why would I do that?"

"Because you haven't had anyone human to talk to for the past three weeks."

"I wouldn't exactly call you human."

"Har har. Knew _that_ was coming," Draco smirked, returning to his reading. Ginny rolled her eyes and remembered why she disliked him. She remained silent for a moment, listening to Draco chew his breakfast obnoxiously. When he had finished, Ginny began to clear his plate, but he stopped her.

"Ginny, wait!" He called. Ginny had her hand on the swinging door to the kitchen, but her entire body froze when she heard him address her by her first name. She turned around slowly and looked at Draco. He was on his feet, halfway across the room towards her. He appeared to have thought better about moving any closer, because he remained where he was.

"Yes?" Ginny prompted him, feeling her arm holding his heavy dishware beginning to shake.

"How much did you hear last night?" He asked boldly. Ginny looked down at the ground, feeling ashamed for eavesdropping. She walked back to the table and set down the dishes, realizing that this was not going to be a brief chat.

"Enough," Ginny replied softly.

"What does that even mean?" Draco exclaimed. "Did you hear some of it? All of it?"

"I heard enough to know that you're completely obsessed with Quidditch," Ginny teased. Then she silently chided herself. _I just teased Draco Malfoy. Am I out of my mind?_

"Look, no one really knows about that, so, uh-"

"What do you mean no one knows about it? You were the star seeker of Slytherin's Quidditch team since your second year! You caught more Snitches over your entire Hogwarts Quidditch career than even Harry himself. If you count scrimages, of course. And your leadership of the Slytherin team led you to quite a few victories the past few years-" Ginny trailed off when she realized that she had been rambling.

"You seem to know an awful lot about me, don't you?" Draco drawled with a smirk.

"Not really. I just love Quidditch. Almost as much as you do. I haven't played since...well, that doesn't matter anymore."

"What?"

"Nothing."

"Come on!" Draco insisted. Ginny shrugged.

"It's no big deal. I just miss going to Hogwarts and all. Even if I wanted to play Quidditch someplace else, I can't. I just sold my broom three weeks ago. I can't even fly anymore," Ginny admitted quietly. She expected Draco to make fun of her, but he just stared.

"You sold your broom?" He asked, apparently flabbergasted.

"We needed the money," Ginny said in shame.

"Wow. That's really admirable."

"What?"

"That's admirable," Draco repeated.

"Did you just offer me a compliment, Malfoy?" Ginny asked in confusion. Draco paused and thought about what he had just said. He was silent for several more minutes, trying to find some way to deny it. Apparently, there was no way around it. He finally grinned in defeat.

"I might have. Just don't think too far into it." Ginny couldn't help but smile back. His grin was contagious, which was something she had never known. She had only seen evil smirks and malicious sneers on Draco's lips, and those made his naturally sexy traits become diminished. When he smiled plainly, adorable dimples were clear in his cheers and the silver specks in his eyes sparkled cheerfully.

"Listen...I didn't see it, but I heard what your father did to you." Draco's smile was gone. "I can't believe he would do that to his own son. It just seems so wrong to me. But anyway. I want you to know that I will never tell anyone about it if that is what you wish," Ginny explained, reaching out and touching Draco's hand. He looked startled at her gesture of comfort and he watched her cautiously. A flicker of fear passed across his eyes and he drew back his hand quickly.

"Thanks," he replied gruffly. "And you obviously don't know my father if you didn't expect him to be so ruthless."

"I know about your father, but I never imagined that he would be so cruel to his own son."

"You heard him. He's ashamed to call me his son. Well, that's perfectly fine with me. I don't want to be recognized as his son. People look at me all the time as though they are looking at a younger version of my father. I know what my father does and I am not proud of that. In no way am I inclined to follow in his footsteps. I could never kill anyone..." Draco trailed off, looking embarrassed. He stared at the ground and tried to ignore Ginny's eyes on him. He took a few deep breaths and exhaled deeply.

"I always used to respect him. I always used to respect his wishes. I was going to become a death eater, and I was proud of that. Because my father was a death eater and I wanted to be like him. Then it happened..."

"What happened?" Ginny asked curiously. Draco glanced up at her and held her gaze.

"I began to see," he replied gravely. Ginny regarded him with bemused eyes so he continued. "I began to see what my father was doing, and even more important than that, I began to see that it was wrong. I remember the day clearly. My father had called me down into his office in the basement."

---Flashback---

"Come, Draco. I want to show you something," Lucius beckoned to his fifteen-year-old son. Draco rose from the dining room table and followed his father downstairs. He saw a few of the other death eaters standing around. A woman was bound and gagged, sitting in a chair. Tears were streaming down her face. Draco looked questioningly at his father.

"She's a mudblood, Draco. A mudblood Healer. She's nursed some important Aurors back to health and the Dark Lord has given me orders to have her...detained this time around." Draco glanced at the woman. Her eyes were filled with pain and fear. She struggled against her bindings, but it was useless. The death eaters chuckled at her feeble attempts. Even Lucius laughed maliciously. Draco frowned. He could not see the humor.

"I thought you would like to be here for this experience. Think of it as a quick preview of what your life will be like once the Dark Lord has glorified you with the position of a death eater," Lucius said, putting a hand on Draco's shoulder. Draco shuddered.

His father's hand was cold.

A soft pop broke the silence and another death eater had appeared, clutching a little girl by the hair. She was screaming loudly, tears streaming down her cheeks. Draco glanced over at the woman. She was suddenly even more frantic in her attempts to break free. One of the death eaters restrained her. The man who had just arrived threw the little girl to the ground and performed a binding charm. Draco instinctively stepped forward to help the brown haired girl. She was writhing on the floor, crying for her mother. Lucius stopped his son from moving.

"Hold on, Draco. I know you're eager, but I think it's best that I handle this one." Draco remained motionless. He did not like the way his father had said that. It gave him chills. Lucius approached the woman, who appeared to be in worse shape than when Draco had first arrived.

"Well, Martha. I would like to demonstrate for you the power of a real wizard. The power of a purebred wizard," Lucius sneered. Before Draco could even perceive what was about to happen, two dreadful words were spoken. The little girl stopped moving and fell to the ground.

Dead.

Draco was completely horrified. But he found his feet nailed to the floor. His heart was pounding furiously. He couldn't believe that his father had just killed a girl so young. A girl that couldn't have possibly done anything to deserve this fate. Draco knew that his father was going to administer the same treatment to the sobbing woman, but his eyes were glued to the crumpled figure of the little girl. Her eyes were open, staring at him. They were glassy and fearful. Draco felt an immense amount of guilt at the realization that his father expected him to do this in the future.

---End Flashback---

"That was the moment that I decided that I was never going to be a death eater. I started focusing on Quidditch so that I would have an alternative," Draco finished, his voice shaking. Ginny was staring at him in shock. Her cheeks were wet with tears of pity and sadness.

"Just because her mother was a mudblood?" She whispered in disbelief. Draco nodded. Ginny shook her head and wiped her eyes. "I can't believe that there are people like that."

"I can't believe that I'm related to people like that," Draco muttered.

"I am too, technically," Ginny pointed out. Draco gave her a look that plainly said, 'Not like I am.' Ginny backed off, understanding that he had it much worse than she did. Again, instinctively, she reached out for his hand.

"You're very brave, Draco," Ginny murmured. Draco snorted and glanced up at the ceiling.

"Brave? Not me."

"You are brave to stand up for what you think is right. Especially when your father is so strong and powerful. It's admirable, to quote a friend of mine," Ginny added. Draco cracked a grin.

"A friend?"

"I'm sorry, I forgot who I was speaking of."

"Ouch."

"I felt close to you just now," Ginny admitted. "I felt like we were just two friends confiding in each other things we couldn't speak of to anyone else. Do you know what I mean?"

"Yeah...I think I do," Draco replied.

Silence.

"Well, I'd better get back to work. Those floors don't wash themselves," Ginny said getting to her feet.

"Thanks for, uh, listening. And for keeping my secret."

"Hey, you owe me."

"Can't argue with that."

"Not only for being so incredibly amazing at keeping secrets, but also for tending to your wounds."

"Of course."

"And you will remain indebted to me until further notice...or until you save my life. I wouldn't count on the latter. I'm a strong girl. I'll be my own knight in shining armor," Ginny added smugly. Draco raised his eyebrows.

"Oh really?"

"Yes. So it looks like we'll never be even."

"I'll find a way to repay you."

"Well, you work on that," Ginny grinned. Draco returned the smile and it stayed there even after Ginny had disappeared into the kitchens.

Ginny left the master bedroom after she had finished cleaning and she started towards Draco's room. She was actually slightly excited to enter his room. She was almost hoping that she would find Draco inside and they could continue to talk as they had at breakfast that morning. Ginny had seen a side of Draco Malfoy she didn't think anyone else even knew existed. She felt that she was willing to give him a chance. He seemed very misunderstood to her and she thought that all he probably needed was a friend.

---

When Ginny entered Draco's bedroom, she was disappointed to find it empty. Letting out a breath she hadn't known she had been holding, she started to take the sheets off of his bed. She brought them down to the laundry room and washed them efficiently. She was getting better at her chores and she could complete them in almost half the time it had taken her the first week of work. She returned to Draco's room and made his bed while humming quietly to herself.

After standing back to admire her handiwork, Ginny started towards the bathroom to collect his towels and replace them with new ones. As she reached for the doorknob, it wiggled and opened before she even touched it. Startled, she jumped backwards and gasped.  
Draco stepped into the room surrounded by a cloud of warm mist. His blonde hair was wet and plastered to his head. Water fell in tiny droplets down his neck and rippled over his toned abdomen. Ginny found herself unable to move or speak. She just stared. He was only wearing a towel around his waist. Ginny's mind slowly started to create ideas of what was concealed underneath the fluffy white toga. As she realized what she was thinking and whom she was thinking about, her face flushed deep crimson. Draco's lips curled into a sly grin.

"Hey there, freckles. Did you want something?" He asked smoothly. Ginny opened her mouth to respond but what came out sounded like a dying sheep's last breath. Draco raised his eyebrows at her and moved to navigate around her. Ginny was shaken back to her senses.

"I-I was just coming to exchange your towels," she said, breathlessly, not daring to turn around and face him.

"Oh, good. Here, you can take this one." A damp towel landed on Ginny's shoulder. That could only mean one thing. Draco Malfoy was standing directly behind her...completely naked.

"A-are you naked?" Ginny asked in a squeakier voice than she had intended. Draco laughed.

"Just the way God made me."

"I really don't think that it's appropriate for me to be here while you're, um, stark," Ginny mumbled, her embarrassment clear. Draco was apparently enjoying himself.

"You don't have to look, although I'd understand if you wanted to. I'll be dressed in a minute."

"Who says you have anything to be proud of?" Ginny asked, wanting to put him on the defensive to keep the spotlight off of her insecurity.

"Half the female population of Hogwarts."

"You're lying."

"Yeah, but it sounds convincing, doesn't it? Just go about your duties. Don't mind me."

"Are you decent yet?" Ginny asked, weakly.

"All right, I have boxers on. Happy?" Draco grumbled.

"Very." Ginny turned around and immediately clapped her hands over her eyes. "MALFOY!" Draco burst into laughter. He was nearly doubling over when Ginny peeked through her fingers to see if he had passed out yet.

"You should have seen your face!" He exclaimed, breathlessly. Ginny groaned.

"Why did you have to do that? I'm going to have nightmares for the rest of the week."

"Oh, shove it. Don't pretend. Besides, now you're one of the privileged few who has seen me naked," Draco added triumphantly.

"You are such a git," Ginny muttered.

"Okay, I seriously have pants on now," Draco told her. Ginny sighed.

"How can I trust you?"

"Take the chance."

Ginny uncovered her eyes.

"There. See? Clothing," Draco said while indicating his jeans. Ginny couldn't help grinning. She couldn't pretend that she wasn't embarrassed, so she didn't bother. She allowed her face to blush the color of roses and she didn't try to stop the hysterical giggling that was racking her body.

"You're such a girl," Draco muttered. Ginny stopped giggling.

"Excuse me?"

"You heard me."

"Is that a bad thing?" She demanded. Draco grinned at her.

"Well...it's not all bad," he drawled, glancing down at her breasts. Ginny folded her arms across her chest in indignation. He rolled his eyes and laughed. "Virgin."

"What?"

"You're a virgin."

"Yes. Did you expect otherwise?"

"Maybe."

"Why?"

"I don't know. The boys at Hogwarts seemed to be pretty smitten with you. Even some Slytherin guys were talking about banging you." Ginny frowned at his crude language.

"I wouldn't go out with any guy who wants to 'bang' me," she said decisively. Draco laughed.

"That's what I thought."

"It's not a bad thing. To be a virgin."

"Of course not. Especially since you're a female."

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"Guys have sex and they're envied. Girls have sex and they're shunned."

"That's stupid."

"I didn't make the rules, freckles."

"So...are you envied?" Ginny asked curiously. Draco looked at her for a moment, as if he didn't really believe that she had asked him that question.

"I am."

"So then the rumors are true?"

"It depends on what you've heard. I'm not a sex fiend like everyone says, but I've had my piece of the pie. Besides, I'm not the womanizer people make me out to be. I wine and dine girls like every other Casanova. In fact, I'd be willing to bet that I'm the best boyfriend a girl could ever have."

"You have such a high opinion of yourself."

"Well, it's hard to be humble when you're Draco Malfoy." Ginny laughed.

"Even if you think you're so great, I beg to differ."

"Oh, you do?"

"Yes," Ginny replied, putting her hands on her hips. Draco stared at her for a moment longer than necessary before averting his eyes and walking away. "What did I do?"

"Nothing," Draco muttered, pulling a shirt over his head.

"Then what's wrong?"

"I don't know. Doesn't this feel weird to you?"

"What?"

"Talking…dare I say, flirting with each other."

"Actually, it doesn't feel weird at all," Ginny replied honestly. Draco brushed his slender fingers through his damp blonde hair.

"I know. That's kind of what scares me."

"So…do you want me to avoid you at all costs or something? Would that make you feel more comfortable?" Ginny asked, silently hoping that he would say no. Draco sighed and moved towards her until they were inches apart.

"I want to see where this goes. If that's all right with you," He added softly. Ginny raised her eyebrows.

"Draco Malfoy being considerate? Is this for real?"

"You don't know me. I promise, if you get to know the real me, you're going to love me." Ginny laughed.

"Love you? We'll definitely have to see about that." Draco grinned.

"Sorry. I'm being dramatic. So what do you say? Give me a chance?"

"All right…but we can't let our past history interfere with this experiment, for lack of a better word."

"Deal," Draco agreed. Ginny nodded and started towards the door. "One more thing," he called after her. She glanced over her shoulder.

"What's that?"

"Call me Draco."


	5. Courtship

Chapter Five:

Courtship

Ginny snuggled beneath her covers and savored the fact that she did not have to get up. Lucius was not home from his business trip, Narcissa was still in Paris, and Draco had graciously given the servants a day to rest. Ginny knew that he would not have done something like that if he wasn't trying to court her, but she didn't really care. All that mattered was that it was six thirty on a Friday morning. And she was still in bed. She closed her eyes and pulled her blankets around her, creating a comfortable banana of bliss. Suddenly, a dull buzzing sound disrupted her attempt at sleep. Ginny's eyes flew open and she saw her wand vibrating on her dresser. Groaning, she left her warm shell and picked up her wand.

"What?" She demanded groggily.

"Get dressed," Draco commanded.

"It's six bloody thirty. I want to sleep."

"Then leave your pajamas on. You can go back to sleep after I show you something." Ginny was too tired to argue.

"Fine."

"I'll meet you on the third floor."

"Whatever," Ginny grumbled. She went to the cracked mirror and examined her reflection. Her eyes looked sleepy and there was a long pillow crease mark across her cheek. Rolling her eyes, she ran her fingers through her curly hair and smoothed her nightgown. It was made of white cotton and it fell all the way to her feet. She climbed down the stairs and saw Draco coming down the hallway. He faltered slightly when he saw her.

"You look-" He trailed off, his cheeks flushing slightly.

"Yes?" Ginny prompted him, hiding her smirk.

"You look tired," he finished lamely. Ginny rolled her eyes.

"I know what you meant. Now, what business do you have with me at six thirty in the morning?"

"Follow me," Draco instructed. He walked over to one of the many doors covering the corridor. He pulled out a key and opened it. Ginny stepped inside and frowned.

"Is this a spare bedroom?" She asked.

"Yes."

"Then why did your father give me the shitty attic room?"

"You live in the attic?" Draco asked in shock.

"Yes. Why did you think I was descending from the ceiling?"

"I didn't think you lived up there."

"Yeah. It's only moderately miserable," Ginny muttered. Draco chuckled and walked over to the window, opening it casually. Ginny watched him carefully. "What are you doing?"

"Just follow me. And don't look down," he advised, climbing out the window. Ginny followed and stared at him. He was moving sideways over to a tall, iron ivy rack. Ginny took a deep breath and followed, promising herself that she wouldn't look down. She climbed up the ivy rack behind him and when she got to the top, he held out his hand to assist her.

"You're bloody mad, do you know that?" Ginny grumbled as she hoisted herself onto the rooftop with Draco's help. Draco grinned and shrugged his shoulders.

"That's what they tell me."

"So, why are we up here?" Ginny asked, rubbing her arms. The sky was still dark. A few stars were still clearly visible, while the rest were drowned out by the subtle light of the approaching sun. A heavy mist hung above the ground, hiding the grass from view. The world was completely still. The birds were all silent, sleeping peacefully in their nests.

Draco took Ginny's hand and led her up to the highest point on the roof. He did not release her hand, for fear that she would lose her balance. He gestured to the world around him with a satisfied grin on his face.

"This is why I brought us up here. The serenity of morning," Draco explained. Ginny glanced at him in disbelief.

"I never knew you were so poetic."

"You don't know a lot of things about me, freckles." Draco sat down and patted a spot next to him. Ginny took it and sighed deeply.

"You don't understand how much my life needs serenity right now."

"It must be really hard for you. I mean, all of your brothers are gone. Aren't they?"

"Yeah. It was just me and Mum."

"I'm sure it was quiet around the house then, eh?" Draco asked, trying to bring a little humor back into the conversation. Ginny couldn't bring herself to smile.

"Frightfully quiet," she murmured softly.

"If it means anything to you, I think you're much braver than I am."

"Why would you ever say that?"

"You weren't afraid to go into your worst enemy's home. Not just me, but my father. I know that your family hasn't had the greatest past history with him. To sacrifice your security to help out your family is really brave."

"I'm leaving as soon as our financial situation has stabilized," Ginny stated flatly. Draco looked at her suddenly. She thought she saw a flicker of disappointment in his eyes.

"When will that be?"

"I'm not sure. Tomorrow. Next week. Next month."

"If I can be selfish for a moment, I hope that it takes a very long time." Ginny gazed into his eyes.

"Why?"

"Because I'm enjoying your company so much. I can't bear to think about how dull it will be without you here to talk to," Draco explained. Ginny smiled.

"I think you can manage."

"I beg to differ," Draco replied seriously. He stared into Ginny's eyes for a long time. They just looked at each other, trying desperately to seek out all of the inner workings of their souls. Eventually, Draco looked away. "Look. This is really what I wanted you to see," he told her, pointing to the horizon.

The sun was coming up. Ginny turned to watch. She was mesmerized by the way the light broke through the gloomy mist above the ground. It created dozens of little rainbows that danced over every inch of the lawn. The sky changed from dark blue to purple; then to pink; then to orange.

Ginny shivered. The experience was so incredible, she had forgotten how cold she was. Draco noticed the goose bumps on her arms and he took advantage of the situation. Slowly, so as not to disturb her tranquility, he inched forward and put his arm around her shoulder. She leaned into him, which surprised Draco. He silently marveled at how nice it felt to hold someone like that. When the sun had fully risen above the horizon, Ginny sighed and glanced over her shoulder at Draco.

"That was really beautiful, Draco. Thank you so much for showing me that."

"No problem."

"But it's going to take a lot more than that to seduce me."

"Hey, since when am I seducing you? I thought I was just supposed to woo you."

"Woo, seduce. Same thing," Ginny said, waving her hand dismissively. Draco grinned.

"It sounds as though you would like me to seduce you."

"What?"

"Would you like me to tease you? Do you want me to whisper naughty things in your ear?" Draco whispered, his mouth right beside Ginny's ear. Ginny was surprised at how quickly her heart rate accelerated. Her palms began to sweat and her mind was racing at the speed of light.

"Do you think the world would end if I said yes?"

"Why would the world end?"

"The theory of Armageddon. Your basic end of the world circumstance. A Weasley and a Malfoy together." Draco laughed.

"You're probably right."

"We wouldn't want to destroy the world just because you're a little randy."

"I'm a little randy?"

"That's what I said."

"If any one here is randy, it is certainly you."

"I beg to differ. Do you expect me to believe that it's really your wand that's digging into my back?" Ginny demanded. Draco immediately let go of Ginny and flew backwards. Ginny collapsed into giggles as Draco checked out his situation anxiously.

"What are you talking about?" He asked defensively.

"I was just kidding!" Ginny gasped, clutching her side. Draco glared at her, but he seemed to be more relieved than angry. He watched Ginny as she laughed. Her warm brown eyes sparkled with amusement and her pouty pink lips curved into a charming smile. He never realized how truly attractive Ginny Weasley was until that moment.

"What are you staring at? Is there something in my teeth?" Ginny asked suddenly, clapping her hands over her mouth. Draco grinned and shook his head.

"No."

"Then what are you staring at?"

"Just counting your freckles," Draco replied casually.

"You'll be counting for a very long time."

"Then it's a good thing that you're easy on the eyes," Draco said with a wink. Ginny felt herself blushing violently as she looked away from him. "Now you've made me lose count!"

"Sorry," Ginny apologized with a giggle.

"You must be freezing. Come on, let's get inside."

"Do we have to go?" Ginny whined. "It's so nice out here. I don't feel...suffocated."

"You're going to catch pneumonia."

"Not if you're here to keep me warm," Ginny replied with a mischievous glimmer in her eyes. Draco found himself powerless to resist. She was so adorable and the opportunity to have his arms around her was so inviting. He found it hard to believe himself that he had once hated Ginny Weasley almost as much as he hated Harry Potter.

---

_Dear Harry,_

_I am doing quite well here at the Malfoy's. Narcissa has been in Paris for a few days and Lucius was gone all day today. We were all given the day off. It's almost the end of another week, which means ten more Galleons for Mum. I anticipate that I will at least be finishing out the month of November. If things are not terribly bad at that point, perhaps I will continue until the end of the year. Then I can start over at home with a fresh calendar year. Draco has not given me any trouble thus far. I think maybe you should give him another chance. He's not all bad. I hope you stay well. See you at Christmas._

_Love,_

_Ginny_

Ginny gave her letter to Pigwidgeon and sent the little owl on its way. She heard creaking on the stairs that led to the attic and she turned around quickly. A familiar blonde head became visible and Ginny folded her arms across her chest.

"Didn't you ever hear of knocking?" Ginny demanded in mock annoyance. Draco grinned.

"Forgive me."

"What is it?" Ginny asked with a grin. "What has brought you to my humble abode?"

"Is this really where you live?" Draco inquired, glancing around at the tiny attic. Ginny shrugged.

"This is what your father so generously gave me."

"He's a dick," Draco muttered.

"I got that impression," Ginny agreed. "Anyway, did you want something?"

"Yeah," Draco said, carefully sitting down in the sling of Ginny's hammock. "Do you want to do a kitchen raid with me?"

"A what?"

"A kitchen raid. I'm hungry. I know there's some ice cream in the kitchen."

"Could I get fired for this?"

"Maybe. But who's going to catch us? My parents are away and Greta can just yell." Ginny must have looked uncertain because Draco leaned forward and stared into her eyes. "Trust me. It'll be fun."

"As long as it'll be fun," Ginny agreed with a smile. Draco returned it.

"We just have to wait for Greta to go to bed."

"How long will that take?"

"Eh, ten minutes. Fifteen at the most. She usually gets to bed around ten fifteen. Come on, follow me." Ginny followed Draco down the stairs and into the third floor corridor. They crept to the staircase and peered down. When Greta came walking out of the kitchens and towards the stairs, Draco grabbed Ginny's hand and forced her to her knees.

"What the-"

"Shh!" Draco whispered, clapping his hand over her mouth. "This house echoes like an empty cathedral." Ginny pushed his hand away from her mouth and looked through the railing.

"She's gone."

"We should wait a little bit. Just in case," Draco suggested. They sat in silence for a few minutes, listening for indications of movement below them. Finally, Draco got to his feet and helped Ginny to hers. He put a finger to his lips, motioning to her to be quiet, and started down the stairs. They made it all the way down and they slid across the shiny wood floors to the kitchen. Draco opened the door and let Ginny in before him. He glanced around quickly before disappearing into the room himself.

"Okay. Let me just put a Silence Bubble around this room," Draco muttered, taking out his wand. While he did that, Ginny went to the freezer to check out their options. "What's the ice cream situation?" Draco asked, stowing his wand in his pocket.

"Every flavor imaginable," Ginny replied in awe. It was true. The freezer was stocked to full capacity with every single flavor of ice cream available. When she opened the refrigerator, it was filled with everything necessary to make the perfect ice cream sundae. Ginny turned to Draco with her mouth hanging open in disbelief.

"I guess you've never seen an enchanted refrigerator," Draco commented with a smile.

"My brothers tried to enchant our refrigerator themselves once. It caught fire." Draco laughed.

"It's pretty complex magic. It's basically enchanted to fit your specific needs. In our case, we need lots of ice cream and lots of toppings."

"Wicked."

"Indeed. Pick your flavor," Draco said, gesturing to the freezer. Ginny stared into the sea of ice cream before her.

"Oh, I can't decide."

"One of each it is," Draco confirmed, disappearing for a moment.

"One of each? Isn't that wasteful?"

"Nah. It replenishes itself."

"Of course," Ginny whispered to herself, rolling her eyes. Draco returned, carting the largest ice cream bowl Ginny had ever seen. She could have sat comfortably inside it. "I'm not going to eat that much ice cream," she said right away. Draco grinned.

"So?" Ginny smiled back. They spent the next half hour loading the gigantic bowl with two scoops of every flavor of ice cream. When they had finished, they started working on the toppings. Ginny squeezed out bottles of hot fudge while Draco threw handfuls of chocolate sprinkles at the mountain of ice cream. When it was finally completed, it was twice Ginny's size, covered in whipped cream, sprinkles, hot fudge, butterscotch, peanut butter sauce, Oreo chunks, gummy bears, and dozens of cherries.

"That is the best sundae I have ever seen," Ginny declared. Draco grinned and wiped chocolate syrup from his face.

"Wait until you try it," he replied, handing her a spoon and holding up one of his own. They each dug into the sundae and looked at each other.

"Cheers," Ginny offered.

"Cheers." They both simultaneously decided to feed each other the sundae. Ginny almost missed Draco's mouth, which resulted in whipped cream on the tip of his nose. Her mouth full of ice cream, Ginny had difficulty breathing as she collapsed into giggles. Draco swiped at the whipped cream and scooped a handful of it from the sundae itself. Ginny stared at him.

"You wouldn't dare."

"Wanna bet?" Draco asked, the concept of a challenge exciting him.

"You wouldn't," Ginny repeated, less confident this time. Draco raised his eyebrows.

"Oh my god, what's that?" Draco asked suddenly. As Ginny turned around to see what he was talking about, Draco snuck up behind her and smeared the whipped cream in her face. Ginny screamed loudly and ran away from him. Draco laughed as he had never laughed in his entire life.

"You jerk!" She screeched, wiping her face.

"What are you going to do about it?" Draco asked pompously. There was a moment of silence as both parties formulated their battle plans. In the next second, both Ginny and Draco were plunging their hands into the ice cream sundae and flinging anything and everything in the other person's direction.

"Surrender now, or-" Draco had begun to say, but he stopped abruptly when a flying scoop of chocolate ice cream slapped him in the face. Ginny burst out laughing.

"Or what?" She asked.

"Or this!" Draco shouted, running at her. Ginny shrieked and tried to run away from him, but he caught up with her. They slipped over the chocolate syrup covered floor and crashed to the ground in a heap. Draco landed on top of Ginny, staring down into her eyes. They both burst out laughing at the sight of each other. Draco's hair was almost black with syrup. Ginny had rainbow sprinkles distributed throughout her red mane. Her white nightgown was multi-colored from the different sundae components.

"Oh my god," Ginny exclaimed breathlessly. "That was so much fun."

"I told you."

"Yeah, you did."

"It's going to take weeks to get all this syrup out of my hair," Draco mumbled. Ginny laughed.

"I think I have a special shampoo for that," she joked. Draco collapsed on top of her, his face buried in her shoulder. "Thanks for crushing me," Ginny choked out.

"My pleasure," Draco's muffled voice replied.

"I can't breathe, you idiot!" Ginny whispered. Draco lifted himself up slightly so he wasn't compressing her chest but he was still on top of her. He stared down into her brown eyes, reading all of the emotions within them that he felt himself. They remained that way for a few moments, looking at each other. Ginny's chest rose and fell rapidly as her heart raced madly.

"I-I guess I should be getting to bed," she murmured.

"Yeah. Me too," Draco agreed quietly.

Neither of them moved.

"Ginny?"

"Yeah?"

"I want to kiss you."

"Draco?"

"What?"

"I want you to kiss me." Draco smiled and started to close the gap between their lips. Suddenly, a door slammed loudly in the distance. Draco sat up quickly.

"Shit. My dad's back," he muttered.

"Oh my god. What are we going to do about this?" Ginny asked desperately. Draco rolled his eyes and pressed a button on the wall. A bright flash of pink light filled the room and everything became spotless. Ginny's mouth fell open.

"Why didn't I know about that button?"

"Servants aren't allowed to use it," Draco said.

"That doesn't seem fair."

"Does my father seem like a fair person to you?"

"Point taken."

"Scourgify," Draco muttered, pointing his wand at Ginny. All traces of the sundae vanished. Draco performed the same spell on himself, as Ginny remained frozen on the floor. She had just asked Draco Malfoy to kiss her. And she had wanted him to. She was actually disappointed when they were interrupted. This was how she felt after spending one day completely in his company. How was she going to feel after a week? Two weeks? _Is this what it's like to fall in love?_ She wondered suddenly.

"Ginny! Come on. We have to get upstairs before my father realizes that I'm missing." Ginny got to her feet and followed Draco as he crept through the dining room to avoid the foyer, where Lucius was hanging his coat in the closet. Draco led her through a door, which Ginny had assumed was a broom closet. It apparently led to an alternate staircase.

"This house is full of surprises," Ginny whispered.

"My father had this put in just incase the ministry decides to arrest him. He can get out this way. It goes all the way down to the basement," Draco explained. Ginny remained silent as they hurriedly climbed the stairs.

"Where does it come out?" Ginny asked.

"Third floor."

"I guess this is why there are so many mysterious doors on that floor."

"Yeah. My father has many secret passageways." Draco opened the exit door and let Ginny out first. He followed and closed it, careful not to let it slam. "I guess this is where I say good night."

"I guess so," Ginny replied quietly. Draco inched forward slightly as though to kiss her, thought better of it and nodded formally.

"Good night," he said softly.

"Good night, Draco," Ginny replied, a feeling of disappointment washing over her. She watched him walk away, and she waved feebly when he glanced over his shoulder. Sighing, Ginny ascended the stairs to the attic and collapsed into her hammock. Pigwidgeon fluttered from the vanity and landed on her knee, chirping shrilly. A small note was attached to his leg.

"Sorry, Pig. I didn't see you there," Ginny murmured softly, scratching the little owl beneath his beak. She took the letter and opened it.

_Dear Ginny,_

_I need to see you. I need to make sure that you're doing okay. I'm coming to the Burrow next Friday. Although it's too far away for my taste, it's all I could manage. Your last letter concerned me, and I want to see for myself that you're all right. Tell Lucius that you're taking off the week preceding Christmas so that we can spend some time together. I look forward to your response._

_Love,_

_Harry_

Ginny frowned. Harry was starting to sound just like Ron. Every time Ginny suggested that there was more to Draco Malfoy than any of them knew, Ron would start fussing about her, claiming that she must be ill. Maybe she didn't want the entire week preceding Christmas off. Maybe she wanted to spend that week with Draco. The only man in her life that hadn't abandoned her.

_I'll think about this more tomorrow_, Ginny decided, tossing Harry's letter to the floor. Pigwidgeon fluttered away and perched on the top of the broken mirror. Ginny snuggled under the covers and let her mind wander back to her wonderful day with Draco. She had seen such different sides of Draco in a mere twenty-four hours. He was charming and witty, sentimental and poetic, gentle and tender. All of the things Harry had always been for Ginny.

Except there was something different about Draco.

Something that Harry had never possessed. Draco was able to see her. He was able to look at her and see her for the woman she was becoming. She could sense it in his gaze. She could feel his desire and passion. She could feel his respect and chivalry towards her. Harry had always looked at her like a sister. Like someone he could count on to listen. But Ginny had always felt that Harry took her for granted. She was always there when he had problems, but where was he when she needed him?

Ginny listened as the first few drops of rain hit the windows. She rolled her eyes and pulled her covers around her more tightly. She knew that she was in for a rough night. The wind howled and forced itself through the cracks in the windows and walls. Lightning flashed, illuminating the dark and desolate attic. Ginny winced and waited for the thunder. It came; the sound ripped and split through the air, causing everything in the room to shake. Ginny squeezed her eyes shut and waited for the crackling to stop. She had never liked thunder. Even though she knew that thunder could cause her no harm, it had always scared her when she was lying awake in bed, completely alone.

Suddenly, Ginny's wand vibrated on her dresser, scaring her half to death. She crept across the room and picked it up.

"Draco?" She asked quietly.

"Yeah. Are you all right?"

"What?"

"You're up there all alone in that crappy attic, and this storm is pretty bad. Are you all right?" Ginny didn't respond right away. She was shocked that he seemed to know how she felt about thunderstorms.

"Oh...yeah, I'm fine. It's not that bad," Ginny replied, trying to sound casual. A deafening clap of thunder crackled and Ginny whimpered.

"I'm on my way up," Draco said.

"What? No, it's okay. I'm fine-"

"I don't believe you for a second. I'm coming up." Ginny smiled and couldn't find a reason to protest. She wasn't waiting long before she heard Draco pull down the staircase and come up.

"Wow. It's like a wind tunnel up here," Draco commented as the wind howled viciously. Ginny shrugged.

"It's home." Draco made himself comfortable in her hammock and gestured for her to join him.

"Come on." Ginny didn't need to be told twice. She carefully climbed into the sling with Draco and snuggled against him. The sounds of the storm faded away to a dull rumble in the background as Ginny concentrated on Draco's heart beating so close to her own.


	6. Christmas

Chapter Six:

Christmas

Ginny glanced at Draco nervously. He nodded her on, his gray eyes promising that it would be all right. The large door before her seemed so intimidating as she raised her hand to knock. She hesitated for a moment before eventually tapping her knuckles on the wood, very quietly.

"Enter!" Narcissa's shrill voice came from the interior. Ginny swallowed hard and turned back to look at Draco. He was standing across the hall for moral support.

"Just do it. I'll be right here. I'll back you up if need be," Draco told her. Ginny nodded and entered the master bedroom. Narcissa was sitting at the vanity, as usual, staring at her reflection. Lucius was seated in an armchair, reading the Dailey Prophet.

"What can I do for you, Miss Weasley?" Lucius asked, dropping his paper to rest in his lap. Narcissa shot him a look that clearly rebuked him for being so accommodating, but Lucius ignored her.

"Well, I-"

"Spit it out, girl! We are very busy people!" Narcissa snapped.

"It's just that Christmas is coming up next week, and I was wondering how much time I would have off to visit with my family," Ginny blurted out, her voice shaking. Lucius touched his fingertips together and rested his chin upon them. He was apparently giving it consideration, which was more than Narcissa could say. She had already rolled her eyes and was tending to her make-up once again.

"It's a pointless holiday. It's just an excuse to eat a massive feast and get drunk," Narcissa said coldly.

"If I may, madam, Christmas is the only time that my family can be together. That's the only reason why we insist upon celebrating it this year," Ginny interrupted Narcissa bravely. Narcissa's face paled and she opened her mouth to reprimand Ginny, but Lucius cut her off.

"Well, Miss Weasley, you have proven yourself to be a good service to this manor. I cannot see that there's any reason why you should not be allowed to take a paid vacation."

"A paid vacation? Lucius!" Narcissa began.

"You really wouldn't have to pay me, Mr. Malfoy-"

"Nonsense. I insist. When will you be taking leave?"

"Tonight, Sir."

"Tonight? You will be gone a week, then?"

"If that's all right."

"I don't see why not."

"Thank you so much, Mr. Malfoy," Ginny replied, relief apparent in her tone. Narcissa was rendered speechless, and Ginny took advantage of the silence to remove herself from the room.

When Ginny stepped into the hallway, Draco was not standing where he had been. She glanced down the corridor and saw his retreating back traveling down the stairs.

"Draco!" Ginny called after him. He did not respond. Ginny broke into a run as she followed him. When she caught up, she grabbed his arm and brought him around to face her. "What's wrong?" Draco's eyes flashed with anger.

"You didn't tell me that you were going to be leaving for an entire week," Draco muttered.

"I told you that I was asking for a Christmas holiday-"

"Once again, you managed to forget to mention that you'd be leaving tonight."

"What are you so angry about?" Ginny asked, confused.

"I just thought that we would have more time to spend together before you went home for Christmas. I really didn't like finding out that you were leaving tonight," Draco grumbled, looking away from her. Ginny couldn't help grinning.

"You're going to miss me, aren't you?"

"Like hell," Draco replied softly. Ginny felt her heart wrench. She was suddenly considering staying longer just to make him feel better. But then Harry might worry...why did she care if Harry worried? She'd just send him a letter saying that Lucius wouldn't let her take off a full week. He'd get over it.

"What if I left on Monday instead?" Ginny asked, taking his emerald green tie in her hands.

"I don't want to keep you from your family."

"You wouldn't be," Ginny insisted, tugging on his tie, pulling his face closer to hers.

"No, I was being selfish. I get to see you every day, and you haven't seen your family in a long time. Please, I would feel awful if you didn't leave tonight like you'd planned."

"You'd feel awful?" Ginny asked in a mocking voice, their faces almost touching. Draco grinned and placed his hands on her waist.

"Don't do this to me," he murmured, tracing circles on her stomach with his thumbs. Ginny smiled at him innocently.

"Do what? This?" She whispered, leaning forward and kissing his neck so softly, he wouldn't have noticed except for the chills running down his spine. "Or this?" She teased, her tongue touching his ear lobe playfully. Draco groaned.

"You're in trouble now," he growled, pushing her back against the wall.

"Really? What are you going to do to me?" Ginny asked in a low, seductive whisper. A door flew open down the hallway and Draco backed away from Ginny as quickly as he could. Ginny composed herself and pretended to dust the picture frame on the wall. Narcissa came storming in their direction and Ginny groaned. She could never completely avoid that woman.

"Draco! What are you doing?"

"Uh, nothing, Mum. Why?"

"Well, I hope you weren't talking to her. You deserve more intellectual conversation. I'm contacting the Parkinson's. They'll be dining with us this evening."

"What?" Draco demanded.

"Don't be rude, Draco. Now, go change into something more presentable." Narcissa threw one more dirty look at Ginny before continuing down the stairs. Ginny glared after her.

"I just feel like pushing her sometimes," Ginny muttered. Draco rolled his eyes.

"Try living with her."

"When she said Parkinson's, she didn't mean, like, Pansy Parkinson, did she?" Draco sighed.

"Unfortunately yes. My mother and her mother are good friends."

"Well, I have to tell Greta that under no circumstance will I be serving dinner tonight," Ginny said. Draco grinned.

"Don't let Pansy intimidate you. She's not going to steal me away."

"I didn't know that I had competition."

"Well, Pansy has been pining for me since we were kids. She likes to lay it on thick, so I'd stay away if I were you. It's kind of revolting."

"I have to protect what's mine, don't I?" Ginny disagreed, folding her arms across her chest. Draco laughed.

"What? Are you going to beat her up?"

"I could do it you know. It would only take a minute."

"Just don't worry about, okay? I hate Pansy, and you're adorable as hell. I'd be an idiot to give you up for her." Ginny couldn't help smiling.

"All right fine. As long as you visit me before I have to leave."

"When is that?"

"My mother is coming for me at eight."

"All right. I'll come up around seven thirty. No matter what."

"Promise?"

"I promise."

"Good. I'll see you tonight, then."

"Until then."

---

Draco watched the clock; his eyes were glued. Pansy was throwing herself at him like usual, but he was barely paying attention. All he could think about was that Ginny was waiting for him in her bedroom. He wasn't sure what he planned on doing when he got there. His initial thought was to sweep her off her feet and make love to her in that silly hammock of hers. But then he thought that she might not want to, especially since he had never officially kissed her. He had teased her by kissing her neck and forehead, but he had never truly kissed her. Perhaps tonight was the night for that. Whatever was going to happen, Draco was so excited he could barely sit still. Of course, Pansy misconstrued his sexual excitement to mean that she was turning him on.

Narcissa watched the two teenagers out of the corner of her eye. She had always known that Draco and Pansy would come to be married at some point, joining two of the most powerful wizarding families. Not only would Lucius be satisfied, but the families already got along so well. It just made perfect practical sense. She had already discussed Draco's betrothal to Pansy with Galavanda Parkinson, her best friend from Hogwarts. It was already agreed upon, and Narcissa would be informing Draco of the arrangement after the Parkinson's had departed.

The grandfather clock in the foyer chimed seven thirty and Draco rose from his seat. He excused himself from Pansy's company, somehow wrenching himself from her iron grip, and nearly ran up the stairs to the third floor. The staircase from the ceiling was already open, inviting Draco into the attic. He climbed up and glanced around. Ginny was standing by the window, humming softly to herself as her slender fingers braided her long red hair. Draco snuck up quietly behind her.

"Ginny!" He shouted, grabbing her by the shoulders suddenly. Ginny screamed in surprise and flailed about. When she saw who had scared her, she glared. Still, she looked more playful than angry.

"Draco! You're such a git!"

"Bit of a scaredy-cat, aren't we?" Ginny lunged at him and he dodged her. She chased him around the tiny attic as he taunted her, egging her on. Her foot caught on the broken bed frame and she stumbled forward, falling into Draco's arms. Unsuspecting Draco lost his balance, and the two fell backwards into the sling of Ginny's hammock. They twisted around, laughing and tangling themselves even further in the sheets. Finally, they both just gave up and kept laughing until they could barely breathe.

"Way to go, genius," Draco muttered, examining their situation.

"Hey, this isn't so bad," Ginny argued, as she shifted underneath Draco's weight. She unintentionally rubbed against him, causing Draco to groan quietly. He looked down at the girl beneath him and suddenly found his heart to be racing twice its normal speed.

"Ginny-" He began, then trailed off. He couldn't think of anything to say. Ginny just looked up at him with beautiful brown eyes. They mirrored the emotions that were bustling around inside Draco's heart; confusion, desire, passion, fear.

"Draco," Ginny whispered softly.

"What?"

"Why haven't you kissed me yet?"

"I didn't know that you wanted me to." Ginny rolled her eyes and touched his cheek with gentle fingertips. Draco shivered.

"I want you to," she murmured seductively. Draco was powerless to resist. He lowered his head and brushed his lips tenderly across hers. After only a moment of hesitation, he kissed her again with less timidity. Ginny's stomach flip flopped within her as her heart felt near to bursting. She wove her fingers through his hair as his tongue slipped through her lips and touched hers.

Suddenly, a loud crack interrupted their snogging. They broke apart, looking anxiously for the source of the sound. Harry became visible as he pulled an Invisibility cloak from around his shoulders.

"Potter!" Draco exclaimed, sitting up too quickly. The hammock swayed violently, sending both Draco and Ginny to the floor.

"Malfoy?" Harry demanded angrily.

"Harry!" Ginny gasped, jumping to her feet.

"Ginny?" Harry questioned.

"What are you doing here?" Ginny asked uncomfortably. She felt her face blushing terribly. Harry regarded her with angry green eyes.

"Nice to see you too."

"I'm sorry. It is nice to see you, it's just that...I was expecting Mum. And I was expecting her at eight o'clock."

"I thought I would come and pick you up myself to surprise you. But I can see that I have caught you at a bad time," Harry snapped, glaring at Draco. Draco had never felt more awkward in his entire life. He had always known that Harry had been close with Ginny, but he had never taken that into consideration when he had started to flirt with her.

"I, uh, I guess I'll just go," Draco grumbled, heading for the stairs.

"Are your things packed, Ginny?" Harry asked sharply. Ginny nodded and cast an apologetic glance over her shoulder at Draco. Draco winked and gave her a quick half smile so that she would know that he understood. As Harry was gathering Ginny's trunk, Ginny motioned to Draco that she would owl him when she got the chance. Draco nodded and left. The room was immersed in awkward silence.

"All right. Take my hand and hold on tight," Harry directed, sounding very businesslike. Ginny did as he said and they apparated back to the Burrow.

"Ginny!" Molly squealed when her daughter came into sight. Ginny ran into her mother's arms, hugging her tightly. "I've missed you so much, Ginny!"

"I've missed you too, Mum," Ginny replied, choking back tears. Molly released her daughter and smiled. Suddenly, the roof began to shake and dust fell from the wood. Molly rolled her eyes, but she could not prevent a smile from taking over her features.

"Here come the boys."

As if on cue, Bill, Charlie, Fred, George, and Ron came barreling down the stairs one after the other. The moment they saw Ginny, there was not even a second for her to breathe. She was smothered with hugs and kisses and 'how are you's.

"Hang on a moment, boys! Let your father through!" Arthur Weasley bellowed. "How's my little darling?"

"Daddy!" Ginny exclaimed, rushing into his arms. Arthur picked her up and twirled her around before setting her down.

"I've missed you so much, Ginny!"

"I've missed all of you so much. I'm so happy to see everyone doing so well," Ginny replied, glancing around at all the smiling faces. There was one person in which the cheery disposition was absent. Harry was watching her with an irritated, detached look on his face. She felt a stab of guilt as to what happened earlier, but the joy in the room was so overwhelming, she could not linger on her guilt for too long.

"Come now, everyone sit down! Dinner's ready!" Molly shouted over the hustle and bustle. Ginny took a seat between Fred and George, avoiding Harry altogether. She watched Ron out of the corner of her eye as he asked Harry what was wrong. Harry's eyes connected briefly with Ginny's before he told Ron that he would explain later. Ginny felt her stomach sinking. Ron was going to have a hippogriff when he found out what Harry had seen.

After dinner, Ginny made the excuse that she was tired and she followed Harry upstairs. He was standing at the window when she reached his door way. She knocked softly, her heart racing at the thought of having to explain to him what was going on.

"Can I come in?" She asked gently.

Harry said nothing, so Ginny took it as a yes. She entered the room and slowly approached him. She kept her distance wisely and stopped when she was five feet from him. She knew that he probably didn't want to be close to her.

"I just wanted to apologize for what happened earlier. You shouldn't have had to see that," Ginny began quietly. "I thought maybe you would want an explanation from me." Harry turned.

"What is there to explain? What I saw was pretty straightforward I think."

"But you don't understand, Harry! Draco is not the arrogant, annoying prat we've always assumed that he was. I think you should give him another chance-"

"See, that's what concerned me. When I got your letter and read that exact same sentence, I started to worry. He's probably just using you, Ginny!"

"Excuse me?"

"He's using you! He probably just wants a good fuck, and then he's done with you!"

"How dare you! I hate you for saying that! You have no idea what you're talking about! You don't know anything about him! Did you even take the time to get to know him before you determined that his behavior was a result of his own evil personality? His father is the reason why he's so messed up, but once you get past that hard, outer shell, he's the sweetest person I've ever known. And he would never use me!" Ginny screamed. Harry fell silent. He still looked angry, but he didn't appear to have a counter argument. Ginny took a moment to compose herself before continuing.

"If I didn't know any better, I'd say that you were jealous," she stated.

"Jealous?"

"Yes. You're jealous of Draco." Harry gave a short bark of laughter that held no humor at all.

"You're being ridiculous. I have no reason to envy him."

"Is that so? Then the fact that Draco has managed to win me over in two weeks when you couldn't do it in six years doesn't bother you?" Ginny demanded.

"It was too complicated with us, Ginny!" Harry protested.

"And it's less complicated now, with you in a different country every day?"

"No! It's just...I don't know!"

"Well, that's intelligent. Draco knows what he wants. And he wants me. Not just for sex, but for companionship and conversation. Have we ever had a real conversation?"

"What do you mean? We're having one right now!"

"I mean, a serious conversation. Like...what your dream house would look like or what your favorite place in the entire world is. Conversations about things that are important to me. I've always been there for you when you were undergoing a struggle, but where were you when Michael Corner left me for a Ravenclaw girl?" Ginny asked, her voice rising in pitch. "Where?"

"I-I didn't know he had left you for another girl."

"That's my point, Harry. You don't talk to me. You barely even see me as a person. As a girl. As someone with love to give. For years, Harry, I've been waiting for you to see me as Ginevra Weasley. A pretty, red-haired, brown-eyed, optimistic girl with her hand outstretched. I was waiting for you. But you never saw me. It only took Draco one day, one moment, to realize that I was someone with a lot to offer. You can be angry at me for not telling you about him in the first place, but I was simply tired of being ignored," Ginny finished, her voice breaking. She felt near tears, but she would not let herself cry in front of Harry.

Harry was standing quietly, listening to her speak. She could see his form changing from rigid frustration to slumped regret. She waited for a moment to see if he would respond. When she was met with silence, Ginny turned and walked out of Harry's room. She felt bad for being so matter-of-fact with him, but he needed to understand how she felt. How she had been miserable for the past six years, waiting for him to finally notice her. When Draco actually saw her as herself, she liked the feeling. She liked that feeling a lot. And Draco made her feel special, like she was worth every look he could send her way. She liked that for the first time she didn't feel invisible. And the kissing was nice. She really liked the kissing.


	7. Back Home

Chapter Seven:

Back "Home"

Ginny had her trunk all ready and set beside the fireplace. She sat in an armchair with blank eyes, staring into the flames. Arthur, Bill, Charlie, Percy, Fred and George had already returned to their positions on the battlefront. Ron and Harry had remained a little while longer with Molly, who was becoming distraught at the thought of her husband and sons at war. Ron kept glancing furtively at Ginny, leading her to believe that Harry had told him everything. _Fine_, Ginny decided. _It'll save him the heart attack later._

"Ginny, are you sure you want to go back there?" Molly asked hopefully. "We have a decent amount of money, and if we both worked at the Leaky Cauldron, I'm sure we'd have enough to sustain ourselves for a while."

"I think I'll finish out the year, Mum. That way, we won't even have to think about whether or not we can sustain ourselves. It's not as bad as you think it is," Ginny reassured her mother. Molly looked uncertain, but she nodded. Harry watched Ginny carefully as she responded. His eyes narrowed when she had suggested that it wasn't as bad as everyone thought. Now he knew why.

The flames burst into a violent shade of green, and Ginny realized that Lucius was sending for her. She got to her feet and hugged her mother tightly. Molly was reluctant to let her daughter go, but she knew that she had to. Ginny awkwardly crossed the room to hug both Ron and Harry. Their hugs were both rigid as if they really didn't want to embrace her. Fighting back tears, Ginny took one last look around the Burrow before stepping into the flames.

She was whisked away to Malfoy Manor. Lucius was waiting for her when she stepped out of the fireplace in the downstairs study. Ginny avoided eye contact.

"Welcome home, Miss Weasley," Lucius drawled smoothly. Ginny did not know how to respond. She was suddenly bewildered at the fact that she felt more comfortable in Malfoy Manor than she had at the Burrow. Pushing this thought from her mind, she gathered her trunk and headed towards the third floor. She pulled down the staircase from the ceiling and ascended the stairs to her attic room. She threw her trunk onto the floor and sighed deeply when the entire room shook.

"Home sweet home," she muttered sarcastically.

"That's the spirit," a voice from behind her agreed. She whipped around and saw Draco lying in her hammock bed. She grinned and threw herself on top of him.

"Draco! I missed you so much!" She exclaimed, hugging him tightly. Draco laughed and ran his fingers through her hair.

"I can see that. How was the family?" Ginny hesitated.

"Well...I'm pretty sure Harry and Ron hate me."

"Oh, yeah. Forgot about that."

"Ron is the only one besides Harry who knows. So at least my entire family doesn't want to excommunicate me. I'm sure they'll find out though. It's only a matter of time before Ron's big mouth opens up and lets it out."

"I'm sorry this is so difficult for you," Draco offered, still stroking her hair gently. Ginny buried her face in his shoulder, never wanting to face the world again. She felt tears stinging at the corners of her eyes, and she had no intention of stopping them. They broke free and rolled down her cheeks, soaking into Draco's shirt.

Draco felt his shoulder getting wet and he paused. Was she crying? He had always seen Ginny as a strong girl who didn't take crap from anyone. Now, here she was. Crying on his shoulder. Helpless and innocent. Draco tightened his grip around her and kissed the top of her head.

"Shh. It's okay, Ginny. Don't cry," he whispered. "Everything is going to be all right." Draco racked his brain, thinking of what might cheer her up. Then it came to him. He sat up, bringing Ginny into his lap.

"Ginny, come with me. I have something that will make you feel better."

"What?" Ginny asked, wiping the tears from her face.

"Just trust me," Draco replied, kissing her gently on the lips.

"Is it better than that?" Ginny asked with a smile. Draco laughed.

"It wasn't exactly what I had in mind, but if you really want to, we could do that instead."

"Maybe later, Draco. Show me what you were going to show me. I'm curious now." Draco led her from the attic to the porch at the back of the mansion. He did not let go of her hand as he walked down the stairs and across the moist grass. There was a small cabin nestled amongst some trees, and Ginny looked questioningly at him.

"Just wait," he told her, seeing her curious face. He opened the door and let her enter first. Ginny looked around in awe. Hanging from every available space on the wall was every single type of broom that had ever been produced from the Cleansweep 1 to the Firebolt Deluxe Edition. Ginny stared at the collection of brooms with her mouth wide open.

"Pick one," Draco instructed. Ginny looked at him.

"Any one I want?" She asked breathlessly.

"Any one you want," Draco confirmed. Ginny walked over to the Firebolt Deluxe Edition and touched the polished wood reverently. Her hand closed around it, and she could feel the power of the broomstick course through her veins. She turned to Draco.

"Can I ride it?" She asked softly. Draco grinned.

"Of course you can." He grabbed another deluxe Firebolt and gestured for her to follow him. They walked along a dirt trail, the trees thinning as they went. Ginny found herself motionless when they reached the clearing. She and her brothers had always played Quidditch on a makeshift field in the backyard, but that was nothing like this. Before her eyes was a Quidditch field complete with qualification sized hoops and neat white lines showing the divisions of the pitch.

Draco walked over to a small black cabinet and tapped it with his wand. The door clicked open, and Draco removed a box of Quidditch balls. He pulled out the golden snitch and turned to Ginny.

"First one to it wins," he challenged. Ginny grinned.

"You're on." Draco threw the snitch into the air, and it zipped away into the sky. Draco and Ginny kicked off from the ground and circled the pitch, keeping watch for the elusive snitch. Ginny was thrilled at how it felt to be in the air again. Especially since the deluxe Firebolt was so easily maneuvered and was able to move at tremendous speeds. Ginny couldn't imagine ever going back to using a Cleansweep.

While Ginny was distracted by her feelings of elation, Draco had started speeding off towards one end of the pitch. Ginny followed him, thinking that he must have seen the snitch. She caught up with him easily and they were flying side by side.

"What are you doing here, Ginny?" Draco asked over the roaring wind.

"I'm doing what you're doing! I'm trying to catch the snitch!" Ginny shouted back. Draco grinned.

"What snitch?" He demanded slyly. Ginny looked around and saw no golden snitch fluttering before her. She decelerated and realized that she had been tricked. Draco circled around the hoops and came back to float beside her.

"I'm a Chaser, not a Seeker."

"Hey, you did pretty well filling in for Potter that time."

"Are you kidding? I thought that a firefly was the snitch." Draco laughed.

"You did well considering that you're only a Chaser."

"Only a Chaser?"

"Well, yeah. Being a Seeker requires much more skill than being a Chaser." Ginny raised her eyebrows.

"Are you willing to bet on that?"

"Look, if you catch the snitch, I'll do one thing for you. Anything you want."

"And if I don't?"

"Same goes for you. Anything I want."

"All right. You have a deal, Draco. Game on," Ginny replied, shaking his hand. Draco grinned, his eyes sparkling at the hint of a challenge.

The competition ensued. While the snitch was not in sight, they teased each other and took jabs. It was all in good fun, because they would usually end up snogging in midair. Finally, Ginny spotted the snitch hovering over the grass at midfield. She sped towards it, feeling Draco gaining on her from behind.

"Give it up, Ginny! I'm just going to get from under your nose!" Draco taunted.

"Don't let that pompously large head of yours slow you down, Draco!" Ginny called back. They were neck and neck. Ginny knew that the only way she would reach the snitch before Draco would be to jump from the broom and pray that she caught it in the air. They were only a few feet off the ground; it wouldn't hurt too badly. Deciding that this would be her course of action, she launched herself from her broom and reached out for the fluttering snitch. Draco was caught off guard and had to swerve so as not to hit Ginny while she was flying towards her goal. He lost his balance and fell from his broom, crashing into Ginny anyway. The two of them tumbled to the ground, rolling and bouncing over the grass.

"I, uh, meant to do that," Draco grumbled when they had stopped rolling.

"Then it worked very well," Ginny groaned, trapped underneath Draco's body.

"Yeah, it did. You didn't catch the snitch, now, did you?"

"No," Ginny muttered, rolling her eyes. Draco grinned triumphantly. Ginny shifted and frowned. "Wait. What the hell is digging into my back? It feels like a rock." Draco lifted himself up, pulling his fist out from underneath her.

"You mean this?" Draco asked, holding up his fist. Then he opened it, revealing the snitch in the center of his palm. Ginny stared in amazement.

"How did you bloody do that?" She asked.

"Your Chaser abilities were just no match for my incredible Seeker talents."

"No, seriously," Ginny said rolling her eyes. "How did you do it?"

"If I had to guess, I'd say sheer luck. I have no idea how I did it."

"Well, I guess you've bested me. Take your winnings. Do you have anything in mind to ask me for?"

"Not yet," Draco replied slyly. "But I'll think of something." Ginny laughed and got to her feet.

"Nothing gross or dangerous," she insisted.

"What? Why not?"

"Draco!"

"Where's the fun in that?"

"There's plenty fun!"

"For you."

"Yes, well. I am the victor in this match."

"Keep this up, and you won't be winning anything else anytime soon."

"Touche, Ginny. I'll make it up to you," Draco said, kissing her on the cheek. "We should head in. It's getting dark," Draco said, taking her hand and leading the way back to the broom cabin.

"Thanks for this, Draco," Ginny said quietly as Draco put his broom on the wall. "It really helped me get my mind off of things."

"Any time." Ginny held out her broom but Draco shook his head. "Take it. It's yours." Ginny stared at him.

"What?"

"It's yours."

"No, Draco, I couldn't accept this-"

"Yes, you could. And you're going to. Just take it back up to your room and use it whenever you'd like. It's a gift from me." Ginny didn't know what to say. Instead, she threw her arms around Draco's neck and kissed him deeply. When she pulled away, Draco grinned. "I should have thought of this sooner." Ginny smiled seductively and kissed his neck.

"So, did you want to continue this elsewhere?" Ginny asked, tugging on his hand. Draco did not need to be asked twice.

---

Ginny whimpered softly as Draco nipped at the flesh of her neck. He left a trail of kisses as he moved down to her exposed breasts. He nuzzled and licked feverishly as Ginny writhed beneath him, unable to stay still. He returned to her face and kissed her passionately. Ginny quickly unbuttoned his shirt, her inexperienced fingers only fumbling twice. His shirt joined her own blouse and bra on the floor. She traced his bare abdomen with her fingertips. Draco felt like wherever she touched his skin, it went on fire. He pushed his tongue inside her mouth and grabbed her by the small of her back, forcing her to arch against him. His erection pressed against Ginny's leg as he rubbed against her anxiously.

There came a sudden knock on the door.

Draco sat up and looked down at Ginny in panic.

"Who is it?" Draco called, reaching for his shirt.

"It's your mother, Draco. Let me in."

"Shit," Ginny whispered, grabbing her shirt. "Draco, where the hell is my bra?" Draco glanced around the room. There was no sight of Ginny's bra. But there was no time to search for it.

"Don't worry about it. Just get in the wardrobe," Draco ordered, pushing her inside his closet. Ginny inhaled the smell of Draco's very expensive clothes and was grateful that they were soft, not itchy, on her bare skin. Draco looked over the room once more to see if Ginny's bra was somewhere in sight.

"Draco? Don't make me use magic!" Narcissa screeched.

"One second, Mum! God!" Draco shouted. He glanced in the mirror quickly to check his appearance. He finger combed his hair and straightened his shirt. Taking a deep breath, Draco crossed the room and opened the door. His mother was standing there, looking very suspicious. She brushed past her son and entered the room, scanning it with beady eyes.

"Did you want something, Mum?" Draco asked casually. Narcissa turned.

"Yes, Draco. I wanted to talk to you about Pansy."

"Pansy?" Draco wrinkled his nose in disgust.

"Yes. Galavanda and I have decided that it would be most beneficial for our two powerful wizarding families to be joined. I know that since you grew up together, you and Pansy have developed a certain fondness for each other. Therefore, the only logical solution would be for you to marry Pansy."

"Mum, I hate Pansy. I can barely stand her-"

"Pansy is thrilled at the idea. Galavanda and I are taking care all the arrangements, darling. You and Pansy will be married in January."

"Haven't you overlooked one little thing?" Draco snapped.

"What's that, dear?"

"I don't want to marry her!" Draco shouted. Narcissa looked startled at her son's reaction, but she recovered quickly.

"You don't have a choice, Draco. You will go with me tomorrow to Diagon Alley to purchase an engagement ring, and that is final."

"Mum-"

"There is no more discussion, Draco! I expect that you will meet me in the foyer at ten o'clock tomorrow morning. God help you if you are not there." Narcissa walked over the side of Draco's bed and picked up a black garment from the floor that had been half hidden by the sheets. Draco froze. Ginny's bra. Narcissa stared at it distastefully and glanced around the room.

"Tell Miss Weasley that she can get this back from me at the end of the day," Narcissa announced with malice. Ginny felt her mouth drop open as her heart raced. When the door closed, she heard Draco approach the wardrobe and fling the door open. Ginny's blouse was on, but unbuttoned.

"This day got really bad really fast," Draco muttered, heading over to his bed. He flopped down upon it and rubbed his eyes. "I can't believe my mother wants me to marry Pansy."

"You're not going to do it, are you?" Ginny asked tentatively, sitting down on the bed and lifting Draco's head into her lap. She ran her fingers through his hair unconsciously.

"Of course I'm not going to do it!" Draco exclaimed. "I'd sooner marry Potter." Ginny laughed.

"Or a Weasley?" She teased. Draco looked up at her seriously.

"I'd most definitely marry a Weasley. If she said yes," Draco said quietly. Ginny's smile froze as she realized that there was no humor in his voice.

"Draco, are you asking me to marry you?" She asked carefully. Draco shrugged.

"I don't know if I'm ready to actually get married. How about you?"

"Thank God you said that. I was afraid that I would have to turn you down for the time being. I'm not ready either," Ginny agreed. Draco grinned.

"Maybe someday," he offered.

"Maybe someday," Ginny confirmed. "What are you going to do about Pansy?"

"I'm going to play along with it for now. I'll make sure my mom knows that I hate the idea, but I know she won't let me out of it. I'll come up with something though. Don't worry. I will never marry Pansy Parkinson," Draco promised. Ginny kissed his forehead.

"Good to hear," she told him, satisfied. "Now...what am I going to do about my bra?" Draco burst out laughing, having forgotten completely that his mother had Ginny's bra held hostage.

"Didn't you hear her? You have to collect it at the end of the day."

"I'm not actually going to do that!" Ginny exclaimed, horrified at the mere thought. "I'll just sacrifice a bra. I have plenty others."

"She won't let you get away with that," Draco pointed out. Ginny rolled her eyes.

"She can kiss my ass. Are you going to walk me to my room?"

"Of course," Draco replied, sitting up. He glanced at his watch. Ten thirty. When had it gotten so late? He and Ginny had come in from playing Quidditch around eight. They had grabbed something to eat from the kitchen and went up to his room, where they snogged for at least an hour...before they were rudely interrupted.

Ginny buttoned her shirt and crossed her arms over her chest anxiously. Draco laughed at her insecurity and led the way into the hall. They walked up the stairs until they reached the string that pulled down the staircase from the ceiling. Draco reached for it and tugged, but the staircase refused to budge.

"With those nicely toned muscles you can't even manage to pull down the staircase?" Ginny asked in disbelief. Draco yanked one more time.

"It's sealed. I told you my mother wouldn't let you get away with it." Ginny groaned.

"Now I have to face your mother. I really don't want to."

"I'll come with you. I'll listen at the door, and if she gets really out of hand, say a code word or something."

"Like what?"

"Something obscure. Like...Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans."

"Whatever, Draco," Ginny replied with a giggle. They reached the master bedroom and Ginny raised her hand to knock. "Are you sure there isn't another way?" She asked, pleadingly.

"Just do it and get it over with. Maybe she'll respect you for having the courage to go to her."

"I was forced to go to her. She locked me out of my room."

"Play along. I'm trying to put a positive spin on things."

"Right," Ginny replied, rolling her eyes. Taking a deep breath, she knocked swiftly on the door.

"Enter!" Narcissa's harsh voice called. Ginny winced and walked inside, her arms still folded across her chest. To her mortification, Lucius was sitting in his armchair. Ginny felt her cheeks flushing red. Narcissa was lounging on the bed, flipping through a magazine. She did not look up when Ginny entered. Ginny's heart raced and her palms began to sweat. She didn't know that she would have to explain herself while Lucius was present. It just made everything much more uncomfortable.

"What do you want?" Narcissa snapped. "We're very busy people!" Ginny rolled her eyes as she surveyed their 'busy' lifestyle, which comprised of reading newspapers and magazines all day long.

"I'm sorry to interrupt, but I believe you have something of mine, madam," Ginny began in a tiny voice. Narcissa looked up at Ginny with piercing eyes.

"Oh?"

"Yes, and I would like it back, please," Ginny finished, feeling her heartbeat in her throat. A quick glance across the room showed that Lucius was becoming interested in the conversation taking place. Narcissa rose from the bed and came to stand directly in front of Ginny.

"Can you describe what you have misplaced?"

"Um, well, it's, uh, black," Ginny hedged, knowing what Narcissa was doing. Narcissa nodded and pretended to think for a moment.

"Well, that's awfully vague. Could you be more specific, dear?"

"I think you know precisely what I am referring to, madam, and I would like it back," Ginny stated through gritted teeth. Then after a moment, she remembered her manners. "Please." Narcissa eyed her as though she was an annoying billywig. Ginny shifted anxiously from foot to foot, waiting for a response. Finally, Narcissa walked over to her bedside table and unlocked a drawer. She pulled out Ginny's bra and held it up for Lucius to see. Ginny felt like dying as she saw Lucius stare at the lingerie, his gray eyes sparkling slightly.

"Does this look like what you're missing?" Narcissa asked. Ginny nodded, scarcely able to speak. Narcissa seemed satisfied with Ginny's level of humiliation. She threw the garment at Ginny's feet and went back to lounging on the bed. Ginny picked up her bra and ran out of the room so quickly, she forgot to say thank you. Draco had been listening at the door, and he got smacked in the face when she had slammed it open.

"Ouch!" Draco exclaimed, holding his head. "That hurt!"

"I'm sorry. I needed to make a fast getaway."

"Yeah, I heard everything. I am so sorry she made you go through that."

"Did you know that your father was in the room too?"

"He was?"

"Yes! He stared at my bra like a randy, drunk man!" Ginny exclaimed, brandishing her lingerie for emphasis. Draco shook his head and put his arm around her shoulders.

"Come on, baby. Let's get you upstairs so you can recover from this evening's trials."

"Are you offering to help?" Ginny asked, raising her eyebrows.

"Only if you want me to." Ginny grinned and pulled him down the hallway by his tie.

---

"Well? Are you convinced, Lucius?" Narcissa snapped. Lucius sighed and touched his fingertips together thoughtfully.

"Are you sure your allegations are not grounded in fact, not jealousy?" Narcissa's already pale face turned white with anger.

"I will tell you for the last time, Lucius. I found the girl's bra in Draco's room, where I suspect they had been snogging just moments before I entered. Your silly plan is not going to work anymore. Your son has ruined it for you."

"Isn't there something you can do about him, Narcissa?" Lucius asked, sounding tired. "He's engaged to that Parkinson girl, isn't he?"

"Yes, but-"

"There you are. That takes care of everything."

"No, it does not, Lucius! He doesn't want to marry Pansy. He told me himself. The Weasley girl has him under her spell!"

"I shall talk to my Lord. In the mean time, see if you can't do something about the boy."

---

Ginny was watering a strange, hissing plant on the second floor when Draco came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist. She gasped in surprise and dropped the watering can.

"Draco!" She exclaimed, using her wand to clean up the spill. "Don't give your mother another reason to hate me."

"I'm sorry. I just missed you so much," Draco replied, nuzzling her neck. "My mother was in an absolutely ferocious mood today."

"I'm sorry to hear that."

"Are you almost done working?"

"I have to do the tapestries and then I'm done."

"Come to my room when you've finished," Draco said, his eyes sparkling. Ginny stared at him curiously.

"What are you up to now?" She asked suspiciously.

"Just come to my room," he repeated, grinning slyly. Then he disappeared down the hallway, leaving Ginny nearly dying of anticipation. She hurried along with the rest of the plants, and she dusted the tapestries with a rapidity she hadn't known she was capable of. Finally, she stopped at her attic room to freshen up before visiting Draco. She took off her uniform and decided on dark blue jeans and a fuzzy, white off-the-shoulders sweater. She practically ran down the stairs to get to Draco's room. When she let herself in, Draco was lounging across his bed, scanning Quidditch Weekly. He caught sight of her and grinned.

"You look great."

"Thanks. Now what is this all about?" Ginny asked, sitting on his bed and crossing her legs Indian-style. Draco sat beside her and leaned back against the head board.

"I've decided what I want you to do for me," he said casually. Ginny frowned.

"What?"

"Remember the Quidditch game?"

"Oh, that's right! I completely forgot about that with the whole bra incident." Draco smothered a snicker when Ginny gave him a reproachful look.

"Anyway, I know what I want from you."

"And that would be?"

"Potter gave you that ring, didn't he?" Draco asked bluntly. Ginny was startled by the random question. When she recovered, she nodded.

"Before he left to go fight," she clarified. "He promised that when he came home, he'd give us a chance." She touched the ring sadly. "But God knows if he'll even make it back. And if he does, I don't even know that I'd want to anymore. He's been treating me like a child, and I can't stand it."

"Then why do you wear it?" Draco asked softly, taking her hand and fingering the silver band. Ginny sighed.

"I don't know. It felt good to know that there was always the promise of a happy ending for me with a man that I cared about. But when I think about it now, I don't know if that happy ending is with Harry anymore."

"Who is it with?" Ginny gradually raised her eyes to meet his.

"It's with you." Draco kissed her gently, then slowly removed the promise ring from Ginny's finger.

"What I want you to do, as my reward for winning-"

"By accident," Ginny pointed out. Draco sighed and rolled his eyes.

"Irrelevant," he replied with a grin. "What I want you to do for me is wear this instead of that." Draco produced a silver ring with a large black stone. "DM" was engraved into the surface of the stone in elegant emerald green lettering.

"Draco, it's beautiful," Ginny whispered, taking the ring in her palm.

"It's my Malfoy ring. Every male in the family has had one. Just initials, nothing fancy. But it's my promise to you that I will take care of you, always." Ginny didn't know what to say. Her eyes were stinging with the premonition of tears as she stared at his grand gesture. Draco waited anxiously for her to say something.

"Well? Will you wear it for me?" He asked, almost afraid that her silence indicated an imminent rejection.

"Of course, Draco. This is really sweet of you," Ginny replied breathlessly. Draco sighed with relief and slid the ring onto her finger. It adjusted its size automatically, and Ginny admired how nice it looked on her hand.

"Well, the night is still young. Can I interest you in some hot cocoa in front of a blazing fire?" Draco asked. He snapped his fingers and flames burst into life in the stone fireplace to their right. Ginny nodded but stopped him when he got up to get the beverages.

"You could probably interest me in some Draco Malfoy in front of a blazing fire instead." Draco was only too happy to oblige.


	8. The Wedding

Chapter Eight:

The Wedding

"Up, up, up, Miss Weasley!" A shrill voice called from beneath the attic. Ginny's eyes scrunched as she squinted through the darkness to see her alarm clock.

_Why didn't my alarm go off?_ She wondered as she rolled out of her hammock. As she got closer to her clock, she realized why. It was three in the morning. Ginny groaned and kicked open the staircase. It lowered, revealing Narcissa Malfoy standing with her hands on her hips.

"It's three in the morning-" Ginny began, but Narcissa interrupted her.

"Yes, and I've been kind enough to let you sleep in, but there is much to be done today!" The narrow faced woman snapped. Ginny, still slumber-logged, couldn't make any sense out of her mistress's words.

"With all due respect, madam," Ginny grumbled sarcastically, "what the hell is going on?" Narcissa rolled her eyes and muttered something about a 'pathetic urchin' before stalking away.

"Be in the kitchen in five minutes." Even with her minimal perception of thought, Ginny couldn't help seething with anger. Despite her livid demeanor, she didn't feel like trying Narcissa's patience. Ginny entered the kitchen to see it bustling with activity. She quickly found Greta and pulled her aside.

"No time for chatter this morning, Ginny. Lots to be done," Greta said distractedly. Ginny rolled her eyes.

"Yeah, I'm getting that impression. But can you stop scurrying around long enough to tell me why everyone's in a tizzy?" Greta sighed and wiped a drop of sweat from her brow.

"Young Master Malfoy is getting married today. The wedding and the reception are to be held here," she explained. Ginny froze.

"What? No, there was never a set date!" Ginny exclaimed without thinking. Greta eyed her suspiciously.

"What does it matter to you?" Ginny barely heard.

"I…I have to go," she mumbled, backing away. Greta grabbed her firmly by the wrist and dragged her deeper into the kitchen.

"You're not going anywhere until the feast has been prepared."

"How long is that going to take?" Ginny asked, pulling on an apron.

"At least until noon. That's when the ceremony is." Ginny's head was reeling. She couldn't believe it was actually happening. Draco was going to marry Pansy Parkinson.

"Get to work, Ginny. Narcissa is in a particularly foul mood this morning, and I think you should not trifle with her," Greta said shortly before bustling away. Ginny thought desperately of a way to talk to Draco, but she couldn't possibly leave the kitchen without anyone seeing her. And Greta was right. She didn't want to risk being seen by Narcissa. Although she was greatly distracted, she assisted in the preparation of the banquet.

Around six forty-five, Greta pulled Ginny aside.

"I'll put Rebecca on breakfast duty this morning. I need you to gather Draco's linens and wash them while he dines. Can you do that?" Greta asked, looking severely stressed. Ginny's breath caught in her throat at the sound of Draco's name, but she managed to remain collected.

"Yeah, of course."

"Good. Get on that, dear." Ginny took off her apron and headed for the foyer at a run. She was secretly hoping to catch Draco coming down to breakfast or, even better, catch him before he left his room. However, Ginny caught a mere glimpse of his figure entering the dining room and that was all. She felt a stab of annoyance that he hadn't attempted to talk to her about the new developments. Did he just simply not care? Ginny didn't want to think about that. She entered his room and set to work stripping his bed. Suddenly, Ginny heard Narcissa's sharp voice barking out threats downstairs. Draco's voice immediately followed, drowning out her wailing with its volume and pitch. Although the echoes rendered the conversation indecipherable, Ginny could figure out for herself that Draco had just been informed of his up and coming marriage. Loud footsteps thundered up the stairs and down the hall. Ginny froze and waited. The door flung open and Draco stormed in looking angrier than Ginny had ever seen him.

"Draco?" She tried softly. Draco jumped, startled by her presence. After he had recovered, he strode towards her and swept her into his arms.

"God, Ginny. I am so sorry about this." Ginny, although stunned by his embrace, put her arms around his neck and hugged him tightly.

"It's all right. Neither of us could have predicted it."

"That doesn't make it any less horrible."

"You're not going to marry her…are you?" Ginny asked the dreaded question. Draco sighed and released her.

"I might not have a choice."

"What? Of course you have a choice, Draco!"

"No, Ginny, I don't. My mother has threatened to do awful things! I can't be so selfish." Ginny felt her eyes welling with tears.

"But Draco, I-" A sudden pounding on the door interrupted her.

"Draco!" Narcissa screeched. "If you don't come out here in five seconds, I'm coming in there!" Unconsciously, Ginny recoiled. She was terrified of what Narcissa would do if she discovered Ginny in Draco's room again. Draco gave her a pleading stare, kissed her, and left the room.

"I love you," Ginny finished.

---

When Greta told Ginny that she wasn't needed in the kitchen any longer, it was eleven thirty. Ginny suspected that an extra set of hands would have been appreciated, but Greta seemed to know. Therefore, she took the woman up on her act of kindness and retreated to her attic room.

If she were to try to stop the wedding, Narcissa would kill her. There was no doubt in her mind that the woman would murder her. She had already done everything else to piss her off, and this would be the last push she needed. But at the same time, she couldn't let Draco marry Pansy. She knew he didn't love Pansy, and that his life with her would be completely miserable. But he was going to do what he thought was best.

It was now that Ginny realized that tears had been streaming down her cheeks in an endless flow.

Ginny stared at her alarm clock until the time read twelve o'clock. She sighed heavily. The marriage ceremony was being held in the backyard. Ginny had spent two hours organizing five hundred chairs. She could hear the dull sounds of chatter rising from the grounds. It was a few minutes before the organist began playing "Here Comes the Bride." Ginny felt sick. She tried to bury her head in her pillow so she wouldn't hear any more. But a sharp, piercing sob rang out, cutting through the thick of her shield. Ginny walked to the window to see what was happening, but she froze when someone from below yanked down the staircase and barreled up the stairs.

"Draco?" Ginny exclaimed in shock. "You're supposed to be-" Draco acted as though he hadn't heard her. He rushed to her and wrapped his arms around her.

"There's no time for me to explain now. We have to get out of here," he whispered, letting go. He started pulling her towards the stairs, but stopped when he saw Narcissa blocking their escape.

"Get back down there and marry Pansy, Draco, and I'll forget that I saw this pathetic display," she muttered through clenched teeth. Draco placed himself between Ginny and Narcissa.

"I can't, Mother."

"Why not, Draco? Because of her?" Narcissa shouted, jabbing an angry finger at Ginny, who flinched. Draco gave her a reassuring glance and turned back to his mother.

"I can't marry Pansy. I will not marry Pansy," he repeated. Narcissa's face had turned a dangerous sort of purple. She reached into her robe for her wand. Ginny felt Draco's muscles tense.

"I warned you what would happen if you were to do something foolish," she whispered in a sinister tone. Draco didn't move. Ginny looked back and forth between Draco and his mother. She knew what was about to happen. And she refused to stand there and let it happen. As soon as Narcissa's lips parted, Ginny used all of her strength to push Draco out of the way.

"Crucio!" Narcissa shrieked. The curse hit Ginny like a speeding train. She fell backwards onto the ground. Shots of electrifying pain ricocheted through every inch of her body. Narcissa was at first startled to find that she was torturing Ginny and not her son, but she seemed just as satisfied.

"Expelliarmus!" Draco shouted, disarming his mother. Ginny lay, curled up in a ball, sobbing quietly. Narcissa turned to glare at Draco, but he was already sending a "Stupefy!" in her direction. She became rigid and helpless. Draco dropped to his knees and touched Ginny's arm gently.

"Ginny? God, Ginny. Are you all right?" He whispered anxiously. Ginny whimpered, unable to form decipherable words. She tried to roll over, but a wave of pain forced her to stay where she was. Draco gathered her into his arms.

"Come on. I'm taking you home."

Draco carried her down the stairs and into a spare bedroom with a fireplace that burst into light when they entered. He grabbed a fistful of Floo Powder and was about to toss it into the flames when the door slammed open. Lucius was standing there, looking dangerously livid.

"Draco-" he began, but he was cut off.

"Goodbye, Father. I can't stay here anymore. I don't know where I'm going, but you can be sure that if you try to hurt Ginny or her family, I will tell the Ministry exactly where to find you. That's a promise," Draco spat. He threw the powder into the fireplace and shouted, "The Burrow!" Lucius watched the flames carry away his son, his blood coursing with anger.

Molly Weasley was sitting at the kitchen table, writing a letter to her husband when the fire coughed up Draco and Ginny. She stared at them for a moment, as though she was trying to figure out whether they were real or if she was just imagining it.

"Mrs. Weasley? I'm so sorry to intrude like this, but Ginny needed to come home," Draco said politely. Molly rose to her feet and hurried towards them.

"Ginny? Ginny, what's wrong? Is she all right?"

"Is there a place where I can set her down?" Draco asked, wanting to avoid explanation as long as he possibly could. Molly nodded and led the way up the stairs to Ginny's bedroom. A faint smile crossed Draco's lips when he saw Ginny's room. The walls were covered with Quidditch posters, including an enlarged photograph of the Gryffindor Quidditch team taken the last year at Hogwarts.

Draco placed Ginny down on the bed and pulled the blankets up around her. Her eyes were half open as she looked around in confusion.

"Draco?" She whispered in a croaky voice.

"I'm here, Ginny," he replied, taking her hand. Molly was even more confused now. She had never known the Malfoys to be anything but cruel, selfish, and conceited. And she had never known any of her children to feel anything but hatred towards every member of that family. But Ginny was clinging to Draco's hand so desperately, Molly sensed something more between them.

"Ginny, dear…what happened?" Molly asked, almost terrified to hear the answer. Ginny shook her head, tears escaping her eyes. Draco rose to his feet.

"I think I'll just be going now. I've made enough of an intrusion-" Draco began, but Ginny held tightly onto his hand. He looked down at her, feeling so guilty.

"Stay," she whispered in a weak voice. Draco looked at Molly, not wanting to impose. Molly glanced from her daughter to Draco and back.

"If she wants you to stay, then you must stay. But right now, Ginny, I think you need some rest. Come with me, Draco. I'll fix you something to eat." Ginny closed her eyes and nodded, loosening her grip on Draco's hand. He lifted it to his lips and kissed it softly before letting go and following Molly from the room.

An awkward silence lapsed between Molly and Draco as she set to work on making Draco a bowl of soup. He struggled to find something to say, but his voice failed him. He was too consumed by guilt to speak.

"I don't suppose you wish to tell me why you brought my daughter home, nearly unconscious?" Molly finally spoke. Draco sighed heavily.

"It's really a long story, and I don't know if you'd rather hear it from me or from her," Draco hedged. Molly turned around and studied Draco carefully.

"Forgive me, but I have never heard a good thing about your personality or your actions. Therefore, I am quite alarmed to see you and my daughter on what I can assume to be intimate terms."

"With all due respect, Mrs. Weasley, I think you'll find that there's more to me than what you have been told throughout the years. And I honestly think that the story would make more sense coming from Ginny." Molly put down the bowl of soup in front of him and collapsed into a chair. The pair sat in silence as Molly contemplated her grief and Draco contemplated his guilt.

---

Draco sat outside in a creaky old rocking chair. Ginny was inside, telling her mother everything that had developed since she had started work for the Malfoys. _Well_, Draco thought with a slight grin. _Not everything_. The sky was a pale blue, and the wind was quite cold, but Draco felt inwardly calm. He had spent the night at the Burrow, and already, he liked it better than home. Even though it didn't have the luxuries of the Manor, it had a welcoming sort of feel to it. And even though Molly Weasley acted as though he carried a rare infectious disease, she was already friendlier than his own mother.

The screen door slapped open and closed as Ginny came outside to join Draco. She looked weary, but relieved. Draco took her hand and pulled her down into his lap.

"How did she take it?"

"It was hard for her to swallow. But I told her you saved my life," Ginny said nonchalantly. Draco frowned.

"When did I do that?"

"When you stupefied your mother. She would have killed me, you know." Draco shuddered at the thought.

"That doesn't count, Ginny. I was the one who put you in danger in the first place." Ginny glanced down at him, her forehead creased with concern.

"You're not feeling guilty, are you?"

"It was my fault," he replied glumly. Ginny shook her head.

"No, it wasn't, Draco."

"Yes, it was! My mother had warned me that she would hurt you if I refused to marry Pansy. And somehow I thought we'd be able to make a getaway before she realized I was gone. But I was wrong."

" I pushed you out of the way, Draco. You would have been hurt, not me. It was my own choice," Ginny insisted.

"Why did you do that, Ginny? You know I would have been able to take it. Why did you put yourself in that kind of danger?"

"I couldn't just stand by and watch her hurt you."

"Why not?" Draco demanded. Ginny shrugged, her eyes glistening with tears.

"I guess it's because I love you." Draco was completely silent. Now he felt like even more of a jerk. Ginny wiped a tear from her cheek and sighed. "Can't you understand that, Draco? You're not at fault here because you were willing to take the hit for me. It doesn't matter why I was in danger. It matters that you were going to protect me with your life. Like what I was willing to do for you."

"I don't deserve you," Draco whispered finally. Ginny gave him a strange look.

"Why would you ever say that?"

"I just don't. You're such a beautiful person, and I'm just me." Ginny touched his cheek softly.

"You wouldn't be here if I didn't see something good in you. You are just as deserving of love as I am."

"Ginny!" Molly called from inside. Ginny stood up quickly and hurried inside. Draco waited anxiously, half-expecting Ginny to return and inform him that he wouldn't be allowed to see her ever again. Instead, she came back with two broomsticks.

"I know they're not Firebolt Deluxes," Ginny began. "But they work. And I think we could use the fun." Draco grinned and took a broom.

"A Cleansweep, eh? That's really old school," he commented. Ginny gave him a look as she kicked off the ground. He followed suit, struggling to keep his balance on the outdated device.

"Is this the first broomstick ever made?" Draco asked as he made a jerky turn that nearly resulted in losing his balance. Ginny grinned.

"Don't make fun. It's part of their charm."

"Hardly the word I would have used," Draco muttered.

"Come on. I'll race you to that tree," Ginny suggested. Draco smiled.

"You're on," he replied. He urged the broom forward, expecting a jolt of speed which there was initially. But it quickly burned out and the broom chugged along at a snail's pace. Ginny was creeping along next to him with a slight lead. They both looked at how ridiculous the other looked and started laughing.

"It's not fair! Your broom doesn't have to carry as much weight as mine does," Draco protested as Ginny increased her lead. Ginny smiled playfully over her shoulder.

"Who said life was fair?" Draco frowned. He leaned forward and grabbed the bristles of Ginny's broom. When he had a good grip on it, he yanked her backwards.

"Hey!" Ginny exclaimed. Draco shrugged.

"All's fair." Ginny started hitting his fingers to get him to let go. "Hey! Ow!"

"Let go!" She yelled with a grin. Draco shook his head.

"Never."

"Fine," Ginny replied. She continued to whack his fingers until they had turned red. They were barely halfway to the tree they had agreed to race to. Draco yanked her back and pushed her behind him before letting go. She caught up, and soon they were neck and neck.

"Give it up, Draco. You can't win fairly," Ginny said. Draco smirked.

"Then I'll just have to win unfairly now, won't I?" Suddenly, he leapt from his broom onto hers. Ginny shrieked as the old Cleansweep lurched towards the ground before leveling out a few feet from the grass. Draco wrapped his arms around her to keep his balance as they continued at an even slower pace towards the tree.

"Now it'll be dark before we even reach the tree," Ginny complained.

"You gave me no choice," Draco said simply. Without warning, Ginny let go of the broom and they both went tumbling to the ground. Draco ended up on top of her, looking down into her chocolate eyes.

"What was that for?" He asked.

"I don't know. But this is much less boring than crawling along on that broom." Draco laughed and kissed her.

"I'd have to agree." A moment of silence passed between them.

"Where are you going to go, Draco?" Ginny asked finally. "You can't go home." Draco sighed and played with a strand of Ginny's hair.

"I don't know. Maybe I'll start traveling now. Go see the rest of Europe while I'm young," he thought out loud. Ginny bit her lip.

"Will you ever come back?" She asked softly. Draco glanced down at her, realizing that he had just broken her heart.

"You should come with me, Ginny." She shook her head.

"I'm needed here. I can't just abandon my family when they need me the most." Draco sighed and rested his head on her chest. "Why don't you just stay here?" Ginny finally asked.

"No, I wouldn't want to be a burden," Draco said firmly.

"You wouldn't be. You could earn your keep. Or you could pay a rent of some sort. I'm sure I could convince my mother to let you stay."

"What about when the rest of your family comes home?"

"They're just going to have to deal with it. It will be hard at first, but they'll know that you've changed when they hear that you've run away from home to be with me."

"You have so much faith in people."

"Ron says too much."

"That might be true. But if it wasn't for your faith, we wouldn't be here." Ginny absentmindedly ran her fingers through Draco's hair.

"Do you want to live with us, Draco? You don't have to. I'm sorry if I made it seem like you had to."

"I would love to live with your family, Ginny. If not just for you, then for the experience of actually having a family that doesn't abuse you."

"Well, I can't make any promises about that," Ginny replied, thinking about Ron's volatile temper. Draco followed her thought process and grinned.

"True. Still, it wouldn't be half as bad as what my father can do to me."

---

"If Ron had any doubts before about whether or not he should kill me, they're gone now," Draco commented as Ginny led the way into her brother's room with her arms full of freshly laundered linens.

"He doesn't have to know. We don't know when he's going to come home again, but more likely than not, he'll give us enough notice to pretend that you slept in the attic."

"Did your mum come up with that plan?" Draco asked with a grin. Ginny laughed and enveloped a fluffy pillow in its case.

"Actually she did. She knows how precarious this whole situation is. We're not going to tell anyone anything at this point."

"And they won't drop by for a spontaneous visit?" Draco asked cautiously testing the bed. Ginny threw the pillow at his face.

"No, they won't. Just incase it's a bad time, you know?" Ginny noticed Draco still looked uncomfortable, and she sat down beside him. "We're doing the best we can. And I think Mum likes you a little bit. She could have forced you to sleep in the attic."

"You know what? Maybe I should do that anyway," Draco began, starting to stand up. Ginny pushed him back down.

"You don't want to do that. We have nasty little critters living up there. Dad says they were here when him and Mum first bought the Burrow. I don't think they'd like sharing their space."

"Do you have everything you need, Draco?" Molly asked, poking her head into the room.

"Mum, can you reassure him that it's okay for him to occupy Ron's room?" Molly sighed and waved a hand.

"He won't even know, Draco. And it's the best room we have."

"I really do appreciate your kindness, Mrs. Weasley," Draco replied graciously. Molly shook her head.

"It's no trouble. We have the space for now."

"Once I figure out a game plan, I promise I'll be out of here," Draco vowed.

"Stay as long as you need to," Molly insisted. "I'm happy to have someone to talk to you, and there are plenty of things around the house that only a man can do."

"Just let me know what you need," Draco answered. Molly nodded and left the room. Ginny giggled and motioned for him to get up so she could make the bed.

"You're so polite. Who knew?"

"Hey!" Draco exclaimed. "You know I can be a nice guy."

"I just think it's amazing how a guy like you can manage to do a total one-eighty. It really is incredible." Draco grinned.

"I'll tell you what's incredible," he said softly, coming around the bed to stand in front of her.

"Oh? What's that?"

"You," he whispered. Then he grabbed a pillow and whacked her across the midsection. Ginny screeched and lunged for the second pillow. They fought each other, brandishing pillows as deadly weapons, until they were both out of breath. They collapsed onto the bed, laughing. Draco could feel the remaining frostbitten parts of his soul thawing as Ginny snuggled against him and kissed his cheek. For the first time in his life, he was truly content.


	9. Molly's Birthday

Chapter Nine:

Molly's Birthday

Draco glanced over at his watch which was laying on the bedside table. It was almost ten o'clock on a Friday morning. Ginny was prone to sleeping in now that she wasn't required to wake at the crack of dawn anymore. Draco stretched, pulling the covers up to his chin. It was a blustery January day with gray skies and howling winds. All he felt like doing was snuggling under the covers until three, and then getting up to have a bowl of soup and hot chocolate. The door creaked open suddenly and Ginny stepped inside. When she saw that he was awake, she ran and jumped on top of him, planting a kiss on his waiting lips.

"Good morning!" She exclaimed cheerfully. Draco grinned.

"Good morning to you. Why are you in such a good mood?" He asked. Ginny shrugged and wiggled under the covers.

"You always put me in a good mood."

"That's sweet, but shouldn't we not do this?" Draco asked cautiously, expecting Molly to come through the door at any moment. He was carefully winning her over with his true personality and charm. He didn't want to ruin that in an instant by fooling around with Ginny. In Ron's bed, no less.

"She's out. It's her birthday tomorrow, you know."

"It is? I have to get her something!" Draco exclaimed. Ginny laughed.

"No, you don't. She doesn't expect anything."

"That doesn't mean I shouldn't get her a present. And I know just what to get her."

"I hope it's not better than my present. I hate it when one of my brothers gets her a better present. I feel so inadequate."

"What did you get her?"

"A glass half full. When she's feeling down about something, she just has to shake the glass and it will show her the good things in life."

"That's a nice idea," Draco replied honestly. "She probably really needs it now."

"That's what I figured." Draco sat up and went to the desk. He found parchment and a quill and began to write. "What are you doing?" Ginny asked.

"Ordering your mother's gift. Now, where's that wretched owl of yours?" As though he had overheard, Pigwidgeon zoomed into the room and flitted around Draco's head. Ginny giggled as she watched Draco make several grabs at him.

"He thinks you want to play," she told him. Draco groaned.

"Maybe later, you silly bird. Right now I need you to do something important." Pigwidgeon shot upwards and perched on a rafter. Draco glared at him. "That bird is completely mental."

"He's sweet," Ginny corrected. She cooed softly and Pigwidgeon flew down to her, landing gracefully on her finger. Ginny petted his head.

"Thanks," Draco muttered as he attached the letter to the owl's leg. Ginny brought Pigwidgeon to the window and watched him fly away. She shivered and rubbed her hands together.

"Can we get back into bed now?" She asked anxiously. Draco grinned and slipped back under the covers.

"Yeah. Come here."

---

Several singing birthday cards arrived in the mail the next day. Ginny and Draco sat at the kitchen table as Molly opened one after the other, sobbing then laughing as they sang to her. Fred and George's card involved tiny dancing replicas of themselves singing Happy Birthday in Swedish. The three of them couldn't understand why Swedish, but that just made it funnier. Finally, Ginny handed Molly her gift.

"Here, Mum. Happy Birthday."

"Thank you, Ginny," Molly replied appreciatively. When she opened it, she smiled widely. "Oh, Ginny. You are so wonderful." Ginny gave her mother a long hug before sitting down. Molly carefully placed the glass on the table, gazing at it reverently. Draco cleared his throat, his mouth suddenly dry.

"Um, Mrs. Weasley? I got you a little something as well." Molly looked up in surprise.

"Oh, Draco. You didn't have to-"

"I know. But I did. So here it is," Draco cut her off with a gentle smile. He handed her a royal blue envelope with embossed silver script reading Spackleworth's Spa and Relaxation Center. Ginny gave Draco a questioning glance as Molly carefully broke the seal and pulled out the letter.

"A two day all expenses paid vacation to Spackleworth's Spa and Relaxation Center? Draco, I can't accept this," Molly said in a stunned voice. Draco shook his head.

"No, I insist. It's the least I can do to repay you for what you have done for me. I think a weekend of relaxation is just what you need," Draco replied. Ginny's eyes were shining with tears. She had never seen Draco do something so nice for someone. And the fact that it was for her mother made it even better. Molly was also on the verge of tears.

"This is really nice of you, Draco. I can't even begin to thank you."

"Please, Mrs. Weasley. You've already done enough. Just accept this as a token of my gratitude." Molly looked reluctant, but eventually she gave in.

"All right. But what are you two going to do while I'm away?"

"I've already made those arrangements," Draco replied. "We'll be staying in your hotel, and even though I couldn't book a double room for you and Ginny, all of the rooms connect. I think Ginny and I could use the vacation too." Ginny's eyes widened. The room was dead silent except for the rain that was pelting down on the windows.

"Draco, I don't even know what to say," Ginny whispered.

"Just say you'll go. Honestly, I could never thank you both enough." Mother and daughter exchanged smiles.

"Well, if you insist, then we'll go have spa treatments," Ginny replied with a giggle. Draco grinned and wrapped his arms around Ginny when she threw herself into his embrace. Molly even brushed a kiss across his cheek, unable to say anything that could possibly express her gratitude.

"Let's go this weekend!" Ginny exclaimed excitedly. "Can we, Mum? The card says we can use it at any time!" Draco laughed at her enthusiasm.

"I suppose," Molly replied, still in shock from receiving such an exquisite and expensive gift. Ginny squealed.

"I have to go pack!" She said eagerly. "Come on, Draco!" She took him by the hand and dragged him up the stairs. Molly remained, wondering how a Malfoy could be capable of such kindness.

As soon as they were in Ginny's room, she slammed the door and lunged at him. She kissed him passionately, pushing him back towards her bed. Draco was caught off guard, but he didn't object. He eased them down onto the mattress and held Ginny to him closely. When they both took a moment to breathe, Draco grinned.

"What's all this for?"

"You are so amazing. I can't even believe that you're real," she whispered, kissing him again. "I don't care if we get caught. I want you right now."

---

Molly was teary-eyed all the way to the spa. She was the happiest she had been in years for many reasons. Firstly, everyone was okay. Everyone was in good health, and none of the boys had been called to combat in a week. Mostly, they were meeting with other members of the Order to strategize. Secondly, Ginny was so happy. Molly watched her daughter smile at Draco from across the room, her cheeks utterly glowing with happiness. Thirdly, Molly had a newfound faith in people. Draco had changed. His day began and ended with Ginny, and she could not ignore his generous gift. It must have cost him a fortune.

"We're here," Ginny announced. Her face had been pressed against the window of the horse-drawn carriage chauffeuring them to the spa. Draco hopped out and helped Ginny and her mother down. The Weasley women were speechless and wide-eyed as they climbed the marble staircase to the spa.

"Bonjour, mademoiselle!" A tall, thin man with slicked-back hair greeted them with a bow. "Do you have a reservation?"

"I have a gift certificate," Molly replied distantly, looking around at the lavish lobby.

"Oui, oui!" The man exclaimed. "Monsieur Malfoy! Good to see you again."

"And you, Pierre. I'd like you to give these women the best rooms you have. Money is no object." Molly opened her mouth to protest, but Pierre was already sweeping them away.

"Certainly, monsieur. Come with me, ladies. The elves will get your bags." Pierre was showing Molly the spa brochure as they walked, and Ginny hung back. Draco put his arm around her shoulders.

"Having fun yet?"

"Draco...this is incredible. I still can't believe you're paying for this."

"Money is no object," he repeated casually.

"I will find some way to repay you," Ginny insisted, a mischievous sparkle in her eyes. Draco grinned and shook his head.

"You're just kicking yourself for staying a virgin all these years, aren't you?"

"I was saving myself for something good," she teased. Draco sighed and puffed out his chest arrogantly.

"And what did you think?"

"Eh," Ginny replied. Draco's jaw dropped and he stared at her. She began to laugh and, upon seeing the murderous expression on his face, sprinted ahead of him. A split second later, he was chasing after her, laughing along.

---

Ginny sat on her balcony in a soft white robe with a mug of warm butterbeer in her hands. People were trickling in and out of the quaint shops across the streets, making few purchases due to the expensive quality of the trinkets. It was their last day at Spackleworth's and the weekend had been amazing. She had enjoyed a fifty minute Swedish massage, a facial, a pedicure and an aromatherapy session. Her mother had been glowing all weekend. Her happiness was evident and contagious, and that was what mattered most to Ginny.

"Hey, you," Draco said, coming out onto his own balcony. He waved his wand and created a bridge between their balconies. He did the same every night so Ginny could sneak over and fool around for awhile. Draco traversed the bridge now and sat beside Ginny on the bench.

"Hi," Ginny replied.

"Did you enjoy yourself last night?" He asked with a grin.

"Of course. Did you?"

"You know I did."

"Oh, yeah. You did whimper quite a lot." Draco turned slightly pink.

"I did not whimper," he scoffed irritably.

"Yes, you did. And I can make you do it again if you want," Ginny replied, tickling his ear lobe with her tongue. Draco stifled a groan and closed his eyes.

"Don't tempt me, Ginny. I might take you up on that."

"Ooh, a threat?" Ginny questioned with a smirk very much familiar to Draco. "I think I'm going to call your bluff." She kissed him suddenly, sliding into his lap and wrapping her arms around his neck. Draco held her and slipped a hand inside her robe. He was surprised and exhilarated to find her naked. He touched the smooth skin of her stomach and moved upwards toward her breasts. They were eagerly awaiting his fingertips and Ginny sighed into his open mouth.

"Ginny?" Molly's voice came from inside. "Ginny, are you awake?" Ginny jumped up and hurried inside. Draco pressed himself against the wall to hide himself from view. He heard Ginny and her mother talk softly. Finally, Ginny returned to the balcony.

"Are you packed? Mum wants to leave by noon. Dad's coming for a visit," she said nervously. Draco frowned.

"Does he know about us?" He asked, already knowing the answer.

"No," Ginny replied. "Mum wants us to wait outside while she talks to him. Get him used to the idea."

"I'm sorry I'm causing so much trouble," Draco said apologetically. Ginny shook her head and pulled him into a hug.

"It doesn't matter to me. I will stand by you, even if my family won't."

"That means a lot to me, Ginny," Draco said quietly, stroking her hair and inhaling her sweet fragrance.

They left Spackleworth's around noon and headed home to the Burrow. Molly thanked and re-thanked Draco dozens of times. She was still radiant with joy as they reached home. A thin trail of smoke was trickling from the chimney, indicating that Arthur was already home.

"Wait outside, Ginny," Molly said, a twinge of anxiety present in her voice. "I'll come get you when the time is right." Ginny nodded and gestured for Draco to follow her. Molly waited until they had disappeared from sight before entering the house. Arthur was seated at the kitchen table, reading the Daily Prophet.

"Arthur!" Molly exclaimed. He glanced up and was immediately on his feet, taking her into his arms.

"Molly, I've missed you!" He kissed her and held her tightly. "Where's Ginny? Your letter said she had come home." Molly sighed and pulled away from her husband's embrace.

"Well...she's all right, Arthur. But there's something I should tell you before you see her." Arthur frowned.

"What's that?"

"Ginny came home from the Malfoy's, and she brought Draco with her." Arthur just blinked at Molly, rendered speechless. "She told me the story, and it seems that he really is a nice boy, and his actions were dictated by his abusive prat of a father. And she loves him."

"She what?" Arthur asked suddenly.

"Ginny loves him, Arthur. I've seen them together, and they're in love. That's why I couldn't say no to him staying here with us."

"What?" Arthur bellowed.

"Arthur, please. Try to understand-"

"He's trying to get secrets from the Order to report back to Voldemort! That's all he's doing!"

"He loves our daughter, Arthur!" Molly exclaimed, shrilly. "Just see them together and you'll recognize it immediately. He looks at her the way you look at me. He's a good boy with bad parents, Arthur. And he's willing to change." Arthur sighed and stared out the window.

"Molly, I really don't think this is a good idea."

"We can't turn him out onto the streets, Arthur!" Molly protested. "It's midwinter, and it's horribly cold."

"He has enough money to put himself up at a nice hotel," Arthur spat with contempt. Molly sighed.

"Perhaps you'll listen to your daughter," she said quietly. "Ginny has enough sense to know when she is being used."

"Molly, it's just his history. He was never-"

"His history is his history. We've all done things we're not proud of. We were all different people when we were young. He still has time to figure himself out, and if Ginny helps him, he'll turn into a good man, Arthur. I just know it."

Ginny picked the petals off of a dandelion as they waited in the grass. Draco was pacing nervously, unable to sit still. There had been no explosions or apparitions, so Ginny was convinced that the discussion was going well. Draco, however, took the silence as a statement of dismissal.

"Maybe I should just leave now. It'll save your father the trouble of kicking me out himself."

"Don't be silly, Draco," Ginny said, rolling her eyes. "My mother has it under control. I can count on her to pull through for me." Suddenly, Pigwidgeon came fluttering towards them.

"That bloody bird," Draco muttered under his breath. Ginny grinned and held out her finger to the owl.

"He likes you, Draco. He follows you around, and look! He's smirking," Ginny teased. Draco made a face at Pigwidgeon and returned to pacing. "Come on," she said, getting to her feet. "It's time to face the music."

"I can't do this, Ginny."

"What happened to the fearless, Draco Malfoy?"

"He got scared," Draco grumbled. Ginny kissed his cheek comfortingly.

"My dad is good to me. Once he sees how happy you make me, he won't be able to say no."

"But just to be safe...I don't think we should have any more midnight rendezvous."

"What?" Ginny cried. "Come on, Draco, be reasonable-"

"I don't want to get caught with my pants down, literally or figuratively."

"Who knew you'd be the one saying no?" Ginny said with a smirk. Draco rolled his eyes.

"Believe me, it hurts to say no to you."

They reached the front door sooner than Draco would have liked. He took several deep breaths and Ginny straightened his tie.

"You look very handsome," she told him. She kissed him gently on the lips. "I love you, Draco." Draco swept her into a hug.

"I love you too," he replied softly. When they drifted apart, Ginny took his hand reassuringly and nodded towards the door.

"It's now or never," she said.

"How about never?" Draco muttered. Ginny laughed and opened the door.

"Nice try. Dad! You're home!" Draco stayed back as Ginny ran to him and gave him a hug. He swung her around and kissed the top of her head as tears leaked out of the sides of his eyes. When he put her down, he finally glanced over at Draco, who shifted uncomfortably.

"Draco," he said abruptly.

"Sir," Draco replied politely. Arthur glanced at Ginny. She was looking at Draco hopefully. He appeared to be very nervous, as he avoided eye contact with everyone in the room. Finally, he lifted his gaze to look at Ginny. She made a ridiculous face, causing Draco's lips to break into a sincere smile. Arthur glanced at Molly, who was clearly indicating the display as proof of her theory. After a long moment, Arthur sighed and nodded in approval.

"Welcome home, Draco."


	10. Waiting

Chapter Ten:

Waiting

Draco clung to Ginny's hand tightly. She sensed his anxiety and gave him a reassuring smile. He tried to return it, but it was feeble and insincere. Molly was prattling on happily about her boys coming home. It was Valentine's Day. Convinced that Voldemort wouldn't dare to attack on Valentine's Day, members of the Order had been given somewhat of a vacation. Molly had decided to throw a party for the Order in celebration of their day off and St. Valentine.

"Are you sure I'm not intruding?" Draco asked again. Molly stopped in mid-sentence to turn and address him.

"Draco! I have seven children, plus Harry. There is no such thing as an intrusion," she insisted. Draco grinned and Ginny laughed.

"He's worried about what the boys might do to him," Ginny elaborated. Arthur sighed and shook his head.

"Well, I'm not going to pretend that things will be just fine, Draco. It took me a few weeks to get used to the idea. Once they see how much you've changed, they'll accept you." Draco was still unconvinced, but he nodded.

Arthur would never admit it aloud, but he was still wary of Draco. He could see how in love he was with Ginny, but it could not erase the worries in the back of his mind. He was on the watch for suspicious behavior incase Draco was reporting back to his father about the Order. He carefully hid any correspondence, and he immediately stopped speaking about the war whenever Draco entered the room.

Draco noticed this. He wasn't completely oblivious. He knew that he would have to prove himself somehow. If he could get his hands on a newspaper or a news bulletin about the proposed whereabouts of Voldemort, he could easily point the Order in the right direction. His father had taught him at a young age how to decipher the clues that the Dark Lord left for his followers. Still, the news updates he received were greatly filtered by Arthur Weasley, which he resented but understood at the same time.

"Here they come!" Molly exclaimed excitedly as the fireplace turned bright red. Draco swallowed hard.

"Maybe I should wait outside again-"

"Draco, don't be ridiculous. Mum has given them a heads-up." Bill stepped out of the fireplace first, with Fleur attached to his right hand. Ginny wrinkled her nose in distaste. Draco noticed Molly's enthusiasm falter for only a moment when she saw Fleur. Still, the pair were showered with hugs and kisses. As they were greeted, Charlie and Percy came through next. Draco hung back as Ginny rushed into the chaos to hug her brothers. He waited uncomfortably in the corner, unnoticed, as the remaining Weasleys popped out of the fire. It was awhile before any of them glanced in his direction. It was Harry who spotted him first. He elbowed Ron, and suddenly the two of them were glaring in Draco's direction. Ginny saw this unfriendly eye contact and made her way across the room to Draco.

"I've never been so uncomfortable in my entire life," Draco whispered to her. Ginny sighed and linked her arm through his.

"It's going to be all right. Come on, I'll introduce you to Bill and Charlie. They'll be nice," Ginny said, dragging him into the crowd. She tapped Charlie on the shoulder. He turned around and looked at Ginny, then at Draco.

"This is him, then?" Charlie asked. His tone held no judgment; just caution. Ginny nodded and smiled.

"This is Draco. Be nice to him, Charlie. And don't tell him anything embarrassing about me," Ginny added with a warning stare. Charlie grinned and extended his hand to shake Draco's.

"She must really like you, mate. She's never asked me to refrain from embarrassing her before."

"I didn't know she had any embarrassing stories to offer," Draco replied, glancing at Ginny. She rolled her eyes.

"I don't. Right, Charlie?"

"Of course not. Especially if you don't count the time when that garden gnome bit your bum and wouldn't let go, and Mum had to call the Healers to come to the house to pluck the bugger off."

"Charlie!" Ginny shrieked. Draco and Charlie burst out laughing. "Fine. Bill is my new favorite brother!" Charlie shook his head.

"I'll always be your favorite brother." He tapped his wand on her forehead and butterflies fluttered out of her ears.

"I hate it when you do that!" Ginny exclaimed, laughing.

"Ah, it's good to be home," Charlie said before wandering over to the living room. Draco couldn't hide his amused grin as Ginny shook the last butterfly from her ear. She rolled her eyes, but she was still smiling.

"And you wonder how I got to be so good at the Bat Bogey Hex."

"Now I know," Draco replied.

They made the rounds, greeting Bill, Percy Fred and George. Fred and George were less friendly than Bill and Charlie, but they made cordial conversation. Especially after Ginny pulled them aside and threatened to tell Molly what they were planning for the fireworks show if they weren't nice to Draco. When they got to Ron and Harry, the two of them seemed firmly set in their resolve to hate Draco.

"You know what, Draco? I think my Mum needs a little help with the dinner," Ginny said as awkward silence encompassed the four. Draco picked up on her hint and left.

"I can't believe you're seeing him," Ron muttered.

"He's different, Ron. Do you really think I would be stupid enough to date the old Draco Malfoy?" Ginny snapped. Ron folded his arms over his chest.

"He's just using you to get closer to the Order."

"How dare you!" Ginny exclaimed. "I don't want to hear any more about that! Draco ran away from his abusive family to be with me!"

"It was a set-up, Gin!" Ron retorted. "They planned it out together, father and son. He's played you for a fool." Ginny slapped him across the face sharply.

"I don't want to hear another word about that. You had better get used to the idea of Draco being around, because he's not going anywhere. And if I hear that you've been making trouble for him, you'll have Mum to answer to." Ron was speechless, holding his face where Ginny had hit him. Harry was wide-eyed and open-mouthed.

"And you," Ginny added, rounding on Harry. "Watch Draco and learn what it means to actually love someone." With that, Ginny turned on her heel and walked away. Harry and Ron glanced at each other.

"She's bloody mad," Ron whispered in disbelief.

"What does she possibly see in him?" Harry growled murderously. The two watched as she walked up to Draco and kissed him on the check. Draco placed his hand on the small of her back and started telling her something that made her laugh. Ron shuddered.

"There's something wrong with that picture, mate. You should be in his position." Harry rolled his eyes.

"I know, Ron. I don't understand where I went wrong."

Suddenly the fireplace turned red again. Out of the flames stepped Hermione Granger. Ginny shrieked and ran towards her.

"Hermione!" She gasped, throwing herself into Hermione's arms.

"Ginny! I haven't seen you in ages!" Hermione exclaimed. "How have you been? I heard you were working for the Malfoys! It must have been awful!" The smile disappeared from Ginny's face and she bit her lip awkwardly.

"Well, actually, Hermione-"

"Granger," Draco interrupted, sticking out his hand. Hermione stared at him as though she didn't quite believe he was there.

"Malfoy?" She replied, making no movement to accept his handshake.

"Draco's been staying here with me and Mum," Ginny started to explain. "He ran away from home, and he's a completely different person than he used to be, Hermione. You have to trust me." Hermione glanced at Draco, then at Harry and Ron. They were shaking their heads angrily in the corner. Hermione looked at Draco uneasily, and he withdrew his hand with a nod.

"All right then. I'll just go help your Mum some more," he said to Ginny. Ginny gave him a comforting smile and squeezed his hand. When he had gone, she stared at Hermione coldly.

"So that's how it's going to be, is it?"

"Ginny, I can't believe-"

"You're going to side with them, aren't you?" Ginny demanded, jabbing a finger in Harry and Ron's direction. Hermione sighed.

"Look, Ginny. I've known Malfoy longer than you have. I know what kind of a person he is-"

"He's different," Ginny insisted through gritted teeth. "And if you don't want to believe me, then fine. But if that's how it's going to be, then my loyalties lie with him now. Not you." Ginny waited for Hermione to apologize and refute her earlier judgment, but she was silent. Ginny nodded in disappointment and anger before joining Draco at the kitchen table.

"Didn't go well, I presume?" Draco asked when she sat down.

"Nope," she spat, picking up a knife to chop the lettuce for the salad. Draco pried it gently from her fingers.

"I don't think you should be chopping lettuce right now. How about peeling potatoes?" He suggested, giving her his task. Ginny sighed and started peeling.

"Why do I feel like this was harder for me than for you?"

"Because you had so much faith in your family and friends. That they would just accept me into their lives because you accepted me into yours. I didn't except a warm welcome from any of them, and I was pleasantly surprised. Bill and Charlie were rather nice." Ginny sighed.

"Ron's right. I do have too much faith in people."

"Hey," Draco murmured, putting his arm around her shoulders and squeezing her gently. "It'll be all right. I'm here, and I'm not going anywhere." He kissed her cheek tenderly, and Ginny nodded.

"At least I know I can count on you," she said quietly. She glanced around at the busy kitchen and then at Draco.

"Uh oh. I know that look," he grinned.

"Come on, no one will even notice we're gone. Just for a few minutes," she pleaded, reaching under the table to touch his inner thigh. Draco groaned and let her against his better judgment.

"All right, but we'll have to make it quick." Ginny grinned and dragged him upstairs. She opened her bedroom door and let Draco in. She checked to make sure no one had seen before closing and locking the door. Immediately, Draco caught her in a kiss and pushed her back against the wall. Ginny ran her fingers through his soft hair as he trailed kisses down her jawbone and to her neck. They stumbled backwards until they hit the bed. Draco ripped Ginny's shirt off over her head and threw it to the side. She undid his belt and dropped his trousers quickly.

"Did you wear a skirt just for this?" Draco whispered breathlessly. Ginny grinned guiltily. He shook his head, smiling back. "I love you."

In the living room, Harry and Ron were sulking and drinking butterbeer. Hermione rolled her eyes at the two of them.

"Is this what you're going to do all night?" She complained.

"Probably," Ron muttered.

"Get a grip, Ron. You too, Harry! We all know that Ginny is going to do what she wants. We can't stop her. Once she figures out that Malfoy is no good for her, she'll come back to earth. We just need to be patient," Hermione instructed.

"I should have seen the signs," Ron rambled drunkenly.

"No, mate. It's my fault. I should have claimed her awhile ago," Harry countered. Hermione groaned and took away their glasses. She took a sip of Ron's and spit it back out.

"Firewhiskey, Ron? You spiked your butterbeer with Firewhiskey?" She demanded.

"I thought the occasion called for it," Ron replied glumly. Hermione shook her head in despair.

"Now I'm going to have to baby-sit the two of you to make sure you don't bloody murder him."

"I'm not going to murder him," Ron slurred. "Just maim him and make him wish he were dead. Where is the bastard anyway?" At that moment, Ginny came down the stairs looking flushed. Her skin was glowing and her eyes were sparkling. The trio watched her suspiciously.

"What's she so happy about?" Harry wondered aloud. A few moments later, Draco came down the stairs. His hair was tussled and the first few buttons of his shirt were undone. He glanced at Ginny, who grinned at him and licked her lips suggestively. He smiled and winked back at her.

"I changed my mind. I'm gonna kill him," Ron growled, standing up. Hermione pushed him back down.

"Sit down, Ron!"

"He just fucked my baby sister! I'm gonna kill him!" Ron shouted.

"Shut up!" Hermione insisted, sitting on his lap to prevent him from standing.

"Yeah, take it easy, mate. We'll figure out a way to get him," Harry said stoically. Ron was grumbling to himself, but was no longer making death threats. Across the room, Ginny and Draco were whispering to each other and laughing softly. Molly sighed and touched Arthur's hand.

"Look at them, Arthur," she said wistfully. "Isn't it beautiful?" Arthur followed his wife's gaze to his daughter and Draco. He couldn't deny it any longer. They were so in love. It was more than making each other smile and having a good time together.

"Just like you, love," he replied, kissing Molly on the cheek. Molly felt tears coming to her eyes. It was times like these that made her truly grateful for all the love she had in her life. And looking at Ginny with Draco reassured her that her daughter was having these moments every day.

Suddenly, a loud crack interrupted the festivities. Remus Lupin and Kingsley Shacklebolt had appeared in the kitchen. Everyone stopped speaking and stared at the two men. Arthur rose from his seat and went to greet them.

"Arthur," Lupin said, clutching his colleague's hand. "I'm so sorry to intrude like this."

"No, no. It's all right," Arthur replied, shaking Kingsley's hand. "Is something the matter?" Lupin glanced around the room. The Weasley boys had risen and were waiting eagerly to hear what news he had to share.

"Since we're all in the Order, I suppose it's all right to-"

"Not all of us," Ron interrupted, gesturing to where Draco sat with Ginny. Lupin stared at the unexpected guest and looked to Arthur for direction. Draco frowned.

"It's not like that anymore," he spoke up. "As a matter of fact, I think I could probably help you." Every eye was on him.

"That's nice of you to offer, Draco, but I think it's best-" Arthur began, but he was cut off by his daughter.

"Trust him, Dad! I do, and that should be enough for you," Ginny stated clearly. Arthur looked at his daughter carefully. She was determined and so headstrong. He knew she might never forgive him if he did not give Draco a chance to prove himself. Reluctantly, Arthur nodded.

"All right, Ginny. Draco, come over here." Draco whispered a thank you to Ginny before rising and joining the group of men around the kitchen table. Ginny hurried to her mother, who looked suddenly faint. They all knew that Lupin did not bring good news.

"Austen and Torres have been kidnapped," Lupin began quietly. "Death Eaters got them on the outskirts of Wiltshire."

"Dear God," Arthur whispered in disbelief. "Did they get the horcrux?"

"Austen had been instructed to hide it, and they're holding that information over them. As far as I know, nothing has been negotiated for their release. We received correspondence from Torres just a moment ago. He says the Death Eaters are going to kill them at midnight if they do not offer their information."

"Tell them where the decoy is," Bill said. "Why doesn't he just do that?"

"We can't have them be suspicious about the credibility of the location. They have to stick it out for awhile to make it seem like they're reluctant to give in," Lupin explained. Draco shook his head.

"That won't work. They know where it is," he said. Everyone stared at him.

"What do you mean?" Lupin asked carefully.

"Voldemort, he knows where it is. He's going to attack. Tonight."

"Draco, how could you possibly know this?" Arthur demanded. "From what little you heard, how could you know so much?"

"You all know my father. He taught me at a young age how to read current events for clues about the Dark Lord. He wants you to believe that he has no idea where the last horcrux is. He's gone so far as to kidnap two members of the Order and blackmail them for its location. He already knows."

"But why would he attack?" Harry snapped. "That doesn't make sense."

"I thought that part was obvious," Draco replied curtly. "It's a holiday. Everyone is out celebrating. It's in Hogsmeade, isn't it?" Arthur, Lupin and Kingsley looked shocked.

"How did you-" Lupin gaped. "Is it really that obvious to Voldemort?" Draco shrugged easily.

"Yes, but what he doesn't know is that you know. We have time to stop him."

"Hold on," Harry said loudly. "Why should we trust you? You could be leading us right into a trap!" Everyone looked uneasily at Draco, who sighed.

"All right, Potter. You can believe that if you want. You all can believe that. But I beg you to at least hear me out. What would be better for Voldemort than capturing the last horcrux and massacring thousands of people to secure his reign?"

"Where is he going to find all these people?" Ron demanded.

"The Three Broomsticks. It throws a ridiculous Valentine's Day party."

"It makes sense," Ginny pointed out.

"You're just saying that because he shags you," Ron spat.

"Ronald Weasley!" Molly screeched. "I never want to hear you say anything like that ever again!"

"Molly, dear. Later," Arthur said softly. "What should we do?" He asked Lupin and Kingsley.

"If what Draco says is true, we can't risk losing the horcrux. Nor can we risk thousands of innocent lives," Kingsley admitted. Lupin nodded in agreement.

"Molly, I hate to do this to you, but we need all the help we can get," Lupin said apologetically. Molly blinked away tears and nodded.

"Of course, Remus. Boys, have a quick bite to eat before you go. I'll get your winter cloaks."

"I'll alert the rest of the Order," Lupin offered.

"I'll arrange a portkey," Kingsley added. Arthur nodded as he bustled about the kitchen, getting himself together.

"Good. The boys and I will be along in a minute," Arthur paused and looked at Draco. "Do you want to come along, Draco?" Draco looked at Ginny. She had never considered losing him until that moment. If his father saw him fighting on the opposite side, along with blood traitors and mudbloods, he was sure to kill Draco. Still, she saw the look in his eyes. He wanted to prove himself trustworthy to her father and her brothers. It was for her.

"Go, Draco," she finally said with a weak smile. Arthur sensed that they needed a moment alone and he shuffled away. Ginny threw herself into Draco's waiting arms.

"I didn't intend for it to be like this," he whispered.

"It's all right, Draco. I know how important it is for you to feel like my family trusts you."

"It's not just that, Ginny. You know it's not," Draco said quietly, looking down into her soft brown eyes. He brushed away a tear that had trickled down her cheek with the pad of his thumb.

"I want to come," she said suddenly.

"No, Ginny," Draco replied firmly.

"Come on, I can fight! I want to help!" Ginny cried frantically. "I want to come with you! Please, don't leave me here."

"Ginny," Draco murmured, pulling her into another hug. She collapsed against him and sobbed. He stroked her hair gently and whispered words of comfort. "I won't be gone long. And I'll come back to you, I promise." Ginny shook her head and buried her face in his chest.

"Look at me, Ginny," Draco said. She slowly lifted her head to look into his blue gray eyes. "I will come back to you. I promise."

"I know you will," Ginny replied softly.

"Draco! Ready to go?" Bill shouted from across the room.

"I'm coming!" Draco called back. He kissed Ginny fervently one last time. He pressed his lips to her forehead briefly before joining the Weasley boys at the portkey. Ginny watched her parents hugging in the corner of the room.

"Arthur!" Lupin called. Arthur gave Molly one last kiss before leaving her behind. Ginny crossed the room and hugged her mother, who was now sobbing. The group disappeared simultaneously, leaving the once lively kitchen suddenly vacant.

"What do we do now?" Ginny asked in a shaky voice.

"We wait," Molly answered, sitting down. Ginny frowned and looked around for something else to occupy her. She found that nothing compelled her attention, and finally she joined her mother at the kitchen table. They sat in silence.


	11. The Last Stand

Chapter Eleven:

The Last Stand

"I don't understand, my Lord. We know where the horcrux is. We should seize it and put it under our protection!" Lucius exclaimed. Voldemort watched the first light snow touch the frozen ground.

"We need to lure Harry Potter somehow. The girl wasn't enough," Voldemort replied. Lucius sighed.

"I apologize, my Lord. My idiot son dissolved Potter's bond with the Weasley girl. He ran off with her." Voldemort froze and turned sharply.

"Where did they go?" He snapped.

"I couldn't say, my Lord. But when he left by Floo Powder, he was taking the girl to her home." Voldemort's eyes flashed dangerously and he whipped out his wand.

"They know, Lucius. Because of your son, they know!"

"What are you talking about?"

"The Order! He's told the Order what we're planning to do! You've been training him since infancy! He must have understood the meaning of Austen's and Torres' kidnapping!"

"My Lord, I didn't realize-"

"It is too late for apologies, Lucius!" Voldemort thundered. He snatched Lucius' arm and jabbed his wand at the dark mark. It turned black and summoned the rest of the Death Eaters. "Come. The war will end tonight."

---

"I don't like just sitting here, waiting for something to happen," Ginny muttered, pacing back and forth. Molly was stirring her tea absentmindedly.

"You get used to it after awhile."

"How can you ever get used to that feeling where you know something terrible is about to happen?" Ginny demanded, tears threatening her eyes.

"I know it's hard, Ginny. But believe it or not, I feel the same way." Ginny felt a sudden stab of guilt. She was carrying on about her own fears and doubts while her mother was going through so much more.

"I'm sorry, Mum," Ginny murmured. Molly managed a feeble smile.

"It's all right, dear. I understand."

"I think I'll just go up to my room and be alone for a little while." Molly nodded. Ginny walked up to her room and stared at her bed where she and Draco had made love just an hour ago. Her heart ached painfully for him. She just wanted to be with him, to make sure that he would be all right. Even more than that, Ginny knew that she was capable of fighting the Death Eaters. She could be a great attribute to the Order.

"It's not fair," Ginny muttered to no one. Suddenly, Ginny had an idea. She tiptoed out onto the landing and listened. There was no movement from the kitchen, and she knew there wouldn't be for the rest of the night. Ginny slipped back into her room and locked the door. She hurried to her closet and poked through it quickly. She found a black dress that hugged her curves and ended just above her knees. A black sweater covered her bare shoulders and black sandals held her feet. When Ginny was satisfied with her appearance, she picked up her wand and strapped it to her thigh. She was ready to attend the Three Broomsticks' Valentine's Day Party.

---

"I am going to check on our hostages," Voldemort barked. "The rest of you stay here and await my orders." He apparated then and appeared in the dungeons of the Malfoy Manor. Glancing around, he saw no sign of Austen or Torres. Upon further inspection, he found the two Death Eaters he had assigned to guard them bound and gagged in a broom closet. Voldemort just glared at them before disapparating back to Hogsmeade.

"The Order has already begun its attack. Come, gentlemen. We must not be late to meet them," Voldemort commanded.

---

"He'll fight the battle first," Draco said for the fifth time. Harry rounded on him, his face a shade of purple rivaling that of Vernon Dursley.

"He'll do it simultaneously! Why focus all his efforts on us?"

"Because he knows he has to kill you now, or you'll destroy the horcrux! Come on, Potter, they told me you were smart!" Draco bellowed.

"Boys!" Lupin snapped. "Stop your bickering."

"I agree with Draco," Arthur finally said. "Voldemort knows this is his last stand against us. You're sure that he knows that we know?"

"Yes. By now he's figured it out," Draco replied. Ron glowered at him from across the room, jealous of the fact that his father kept taking Draco's side.

"All right. Then we have to settle this, once and for all. It's do or die, gentlemen!" Arthur addressed the entire Order. "Let's hope it's not the latter!" Everyone cheered. Draco tried to participate in the pre-battle adrenaline pump, but his thoughts were back the Burrow with Ginny. He didn't want to leave her, but the Order needed him. The fate of the entire wizarding world came down to this battle. And without his help, the Order would have lost it already. Still, he could taste Ginny on his lips and smell her on his clothes. If he could just see her one more time, he knew he'd be all right.

---

Ginny stepped out of the fireplace in the Three Broomsticks and she was shocked to see that she barely recognized the pub. It had been magically enlarged several stories high to accommodate the thousands of people dancing, laughing, talking and eating. She was momentarily distracted from her mission as she surveyed the wide array of witches and wizards in attendance. She was sure she saw the seeker from the Chudley Cannons and made a mental note to tell Ron later.

She didn't know quite where the horcrux was, but she was fairly certain that it wasn't in the Three Broomsticks. Still, she knew that everyone would be at the battleground and no one would be watching to make sure that the civilians were safe. It was the least she could do for the Order and for Draco.

Ginny was about to sit down at the bar when a rough hand grabbed her and dragged her out the side door into the alley. A piece of cloth was shoved in her mouth and tied around her head while her hands were bound behind her back.

"And so, we meet again, my dear," a voice whispered in her ear.

---

"What's taking him so long?" Harry whispered to Draco. "Seems to me like he wanted to wreak some havoc in Hogsmeade first."

"Harry! Have a little patience," Lupin muttered.

"No, he's right," Draco said grudgingly. "Something bad is happening. Are all of our members present and accounted for?"

"Yes," Arthur replied.

"He must be searching for a bargaining chip. He knows he's in a rough place."

"A bargaining chip? More blackmail?" Lupin asked incredulously.

"Except now he means business," Draco answered quietly. Suddenly, several cracks sounded and a dozen Death Eaters appeared. Voldemort was not among them. The Order hesitated, waiting for something to happen. The Death Eaters remained stationary and silent. Finally, another loud crack signaled the arrival of the Dark Lord.

"So, Harry Potter. It has come down to this. A showdown between good and evil. Couldn't have asked for anything more cliché than this."

"It's over, Voldemort. We know that the last horcrux is here, and by midnight, I will have destroyed it. And I will have also destroyed you."

"A little over-confident there, Potter, don't you think?" Draco muttered. He was promptly elbowed in the ribs by Ron. Voldemort chuckled cruelly.

"Oh, Harry. If only it were that simple." He snapped his fingers and a crumpled figure dropped onto the ground at his feet. It wriggled around furiously and made strained attempts at screams. Draco squinted through the dark to see. Suddenly, he stood up and started moving towards it.

"Ginny!" He shouted, breaking into a run.

"Draco, stop!" Lupin commanded, but Draco didn't even hear him. Bill and Charlie restrained him finally and brought him back to the congregation.

"Ah, Draco. So good of you to come. I daresay, I'm a little surprised to see you stationed across from me when I've been so accustomed to seeing you beside me." Draco said nothing, but continued to struggle against the oldest Weasley brothers.

"Let her go!" Arthur shouted. "She has nothing to do with this!"

"That's where you're wrong. It seems that many of you have some sort of attachment to this girl. She might be just what I need to make some agreement between us."

"We will not negotiate!" Harry bellowed.

"Have it your way, then," Voldemort replied calmly. "Crucio!" He pointed his wand at Ginny's crumpled figure. Her screams were dampened by the cloth over her mouth, but they still gave Draco goose bumps. He broke away from Charlie and Bill and whipped out his wand.

"Expelliarmus!" He shouted, pointing at Voldemort. The Dark Lord's wand flew into the air and landed several feet away. Voldemort stared at Draco for a moment in disbelief.

"Draco Malfoy," he began slowly. "Yes, you were always a strong boy. You were going to make a brilliant Death Eater. Did you feel the power behind that curse? You could have done some great things."

"I'm going to kill you," Draco hissed. "For her." He glanced at Ginny, who was whimpering on the grass.

"Well then," Voldemort said serenely. "If you must." At that moment, both sides erupted, flinging curses simultaneously at each other. Draco ducked a nasty looking spell and recovered, immediately scouring the battlefield for Voldemort. He could no longer see him, but decided not to waste any more time on that. He rushed to Ginny and untied her gag.

"Ginny! What the hell are you doing here?" He asked, kissing her furiously. "Are you all right? Do you hurt anywhere?"

"Not yet, at least," a voice growled from behind them. Draco turned to see his father standing over them. "You have disgraced me for the last time." Draco took Ginny in his arms to make sure that whatever curse his father performed would primarily hit him. However, when Lucius cast his spell, Draco felt no pain of any kind. Just the sound of rushing air past his ears and a sensation of leaving the ground behind. It took him a while to realize that they were airborne. Ginny held onto him tightly, burying her face in his chest. When they finally landed, it was rough and abrupt against a stone floor.

"Where are we?" Ginny whispered, her voice trembling.

"Oh, no," Draco muttered. "I know exactly where we are. We have to get out of here-"

"Expelliarmus!" Lucius shouted before Draco could finish. Draco's wand flew across the room, and before either of them had time to think, Lucius had stunned them both. Then, he magically shackled them to opposite walls and removed his spell.

"Good. Now then, Miss Weasley," Lucius said, approaching her slowly. "Where have you hidden your wand?"

"Don't touch her!" Draco shouted from across the room. Ginny pressed herself against the wall, trying to get as far away from Lucius as she could. She drew her legs in against her body in self-defense. With a wave of his wand, Lucius stunned her again. He knelt down alongside her and started un-crumpling her body.

"Get your bloody hands off her!" Draco bellowed, struggling furiously against his restraints. Lucius acted as though he hadn't heard his son. He ran his hand up her leg and beneath the hem of her dress. Ginny, powerless to protest or resist, could only stare with moistened eyes. Lucius seized the wand concealed under her dress and extracted it slowly.

"Clever girl," he said as he got to his feet.

"You bastard!" Draco roared. Lucius finally turned to his son with an annoyed expression on his face.

"I would love to stay and exchange petty insults, but I'm needed back at the battle. If things don't go well there, luring Harry Potter here to his death would be the next best thing," Lucius told them matter-of-factly. He removed Ginny's stunning spell and disappeared with a sharp crack.

"Ginny, I am so sorry," Draco said immediately, trying to get to her. The magical restraints held him to the wall, so he could only comfort her from afar.

"It's all right," Ginny said weakly. "There was nothing you could do."

"We have to find a way out of here," Draco said determinedly.

"How? We don't have our wands. These shackles can't be dissolved without them," Ginny pointed out. Draco sighed.

"I'm working on it."

A loud pop interrupted his thought process. Both Draco and Ginny were stunned to see Harry standing in the middle of the room.

"Harry!" Ginny exclaimed in shock.

"I don't have much time, Ginny. I tracked Lucius here and no one knows I've come to get you."

"Voldemort has probably figured it out by now," Draco said casually. Harry glared at the blonde boy.

"Harry, is everyone okay? Do you think we're going to win?" Ginny asked eagerly. Harry rolled his eyes.

"Ginny, I don't have time to answer your questions now." He freed Ginny from her restraints and he pulled her to her feet. "Hold onto me," he commanded.

"What about Draco?" Ginny asked.

"There's no time," Harry muttered, pulling her to him.

"No!" Ginny shouted, ripping out of his grasp. "Free Draco!" Harry sighed loudly and put his wand away.

"Ginny, I'm serious. There is no time for this nonsense." He made a grab for her hand but she pulled it away furiously. She ran to Draco and put her arms around him.

"It's both of us or neither of us," Ginny stated firmly. Harry looked from Ginny to Draco and back again. He scowled and turned away.

"Don't say I didn't try," he muttered before he disappeared into thin air. The dungeon was silent for a moment after he had gone.

"I can't believe he actually left," Ginny whispered in surprise. Draco pulled her into his lap.

"I can't believe you gave up your freedom for me," he countered, kissing her gently. Ginny smiled and brushed a strand of hair out of his eyes.

"I couldn't leave you here."

"Speaking of which…why did you come to Hogsmeade? That was really dangerous."

"After you left, I couldn't bear the thought of sitting around and waiting to hear if you were going to come home to me. I had to do something. I thought I'd keep an eye on things at the Three Broomsticks for you guys. Just incase," Ginny explained sheepishly. "I'm sorry that I complicated things by getting captured. That was stupid of me."

"No, don't worry. You would have been captured regardless of whether or not you were at the Three Broomsticks. They would have gone to your house and taken you. You mean a lot to a lot of people."

"Then I guess it was a good thing that I didn't stay at home. They might have hurt Mum," Ginny said distantly. Draco kissed her forehead and hugged her tightly.

"But it's all right. We're both okay."

"For now," Ginny said quietly.

"You're right. We have to figure out how to get out of here," Draco said looking around for an escape. "How about you go upstairs and floo home to get help?"

"No, Draco. I'm not leaving you. We're in this together. What if someone comes back and I'm not here? They might hurt you, kill you or take you somewhere else." Draco sighed.

"Did I ever tell you how much I love you?" Ginny smiled.

"You've mentioned it once or twice."

"That's not nearly enough."

"Well, hold that thought because I have something I need to tell you."

"Good or bad?"

"Good…well, I thought it was good."

"Just say it, Ginny," Draco encouraged. Ginny sighed nervously.

"All right, fine," she muttered and took a deep breath. "I'm pregnant."

---

When Lucius returned to the dungeons, Draco and Ginny were right where he had left them. Ginny gave Draco an almost undetectable nod, which he returned. Lucius eyed them both harshly, indicating that the war had not ended well for Voldemort.

"So, _father_, how's the battle going?" Draco asked conversationally.

"Shut up!" Lucius hissed. "You are no longer my son."

"That's great, because I don't think I want you as a father anyway."

"Don't test me," Lucius whispered dangerously.

"I suppose your lord and master has been defeated, judging by the anger in your eyes. That's a pity. Can you tell me something, not-my-father? If Voldemort is supposed to be the most powerful wizard in the world, how is it that an eighteen year old boy can kick the crap out of him multiple times?" Draco mused, stroking his chin thoughtfully. Lucius turned his back on Ginny to face his son.

"Do not speak ill of the Dark Lord in my presence!" Lucius shouted.

"How many times has it been? Six? Seven? That's pretty pathetic if you ask me. Kind of like you, not-father. You spent your entire life following him around like a loyal dog, and what are you going to get for it? A nice cell in Azkaban."

"I warned you, Draco! Now my patience has expired!" Lucius thundered, pulling his wand out of his pocket. At this moment, Ginny sprang to her feet and ran towards him. She landed on his back, taking Lucius by surprise. The wand clattered to the floor. As Lucius scrambled to throw Ginny off of him, she reached into the pocket of his robes and found the two wands he had confiscated earlier. He finally succeeded in detaching the girl from his back and Ginny hit the ground with a thud.

"Draco!" She called, throwing him his wand. Lucius had just picked up his own wand when Draco disarmed him and promptly stunned him.

"Are you all right?" Draco asked, kneeling on the floor beside Ginny. She held her elbow which had caught the impact of her fall.

"I'm fine," she insisted through gritted teeth. Draco helped her to her feet and approached his father.

"Now you'll listen to me," Draco said sharply, pointing his wand into his father's face. Lucius stared coldly at him. "I want you to leave this place. Leave England, forever. Take Mum and get out. I never want to hear from you again. Do you understand me?" Draco removed the stunning spell, but not before binding Lucius' arms and legs.

"Do you understand me?" Draco repeated, jabbing his wand into Lucius' cheek. Lucius glared at his son but nodded.

"Yes," he replied furiously.

"Good," Draco said, withdrawing his wand. He took Ginny by the hand and led her towards the stairs. "I'm sure someone will find you eventually. I want you gone by the end of the week." Suddenly, approaching footsteps could be heard. Draco pulled Ginny close to him, incase the footsteps belonged to Death Eaters. However, it was several members of the Order, the Weasley family, and a handful of ministry officials who came charging down the stairs.

Ginny left Draco's arms and ran to her father. Draco watched from the sidelines as her family greeted her with hugs and kisses. He glanced over his shoulder to see his father being taken into custody. He hadn't wished Azkaban for his father. Something inside him would not allow him to condemn Lucius to that fate, which was why he had every intention of letting him go free. But it was out of his hands now. He could not interfere without getting arrested himself.

"Draco?" Ginny said quietly, touching his shoulder. "Come on, let's go home." Draco waited until the ministry officials had apparated away with his father in tow before turning to face Ginny.

"All right, let's go." Ginny looked at him with sympathetic eyes. She could see how much it hurt him to see his father being taken away like that, in spite of the cruelty he had experienced since birth. It was just further confirmation that Draco Malfoy was a changed man, and the type of man that Ginny had always imagined herself falling in love with.


	12. A New Era

A/N: This will be the last chapter, although I promise there will be an epilogue. I just want to thank everyone for their reviews. I really appreciate your compliments and insight. I hope you enjoyed reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it. The 7th book is coming out soon, but the magic will live on in fanfictions.

Chapter Twelve:

A New Era

Ginny awoke to the sun streaming through her window and directly into her eyes. She couldn't complain. Each new day brought some new joy. Draco had made sure that her family got the money that Lucius had promised Ginny, and with it, they were able to fix up the Burrow and buy some luxuries they had not been able to afford before.

It had only been a few days since Ginny had told Draco that she was pregnant, but he was already talking about going shopping for clothes and a crib. Ginny thought it was absolutely precious that Draco was so excited about being a father, but she was anxious, as she had not yet told anyone else about it. She wondered what her mother would think.

"Ginny?" Molly called quietly, opening the door. "Are you awake, dear?" Ginny slipped out of bed, careful not to disturb Hermione, who had shared the bed for the night. She tiptoed over to her mother and stepped out into the hallway.

"I'm up but Hermione is still sleeping."

"Aren't you girls going shopping for the ball tonight?"

"Yes, I'll get her up in a few minutes."

"All right. And Ginny," Molly added with a smile. "Buy whatever your heart desires. You've earned it." Ginny hugged her mother and promised that she would before she retreated into her room.

"Hermione?" Ginny said gently, shaking the sleeping girl. Hermione stirred and rubbed her eyes.

"What?"

"Come on! It's time to go shopping!" Ginny exclaimed excitedly. Hermione groaned, but smiled at Ginny.

"All right, all right. Give me a minute," she replied, yawning.

"Take your time. I'm going to take a shower!" Ginny said, grabbing her towel. She had only made it a few paces down the hallway before a pair of hands reached out of a broom closet and pulled her inside. She yelped, but was quickly silenced when lips covered her own.

"Draco! You just scared me half to death!" She exclaimed, hitting him playfully. Draco grinned and kissed her again.

"I'm sorry. You just looked to delicious to pass up."

"Yes, with my bed head and pajamas," Ginny said sarcastically. Draco shook his head and looked at her honestly.

"I love that just woken up look. It makes me want to take you back to bed."

"I would love to, except Hermione happens to be in my room and if I don't get in the shower before Ron, I'll never get in."

"Can I come?" Draco asked, waggling an eyebrow. Ginny laughed and kissed him.

"No. Another day, Draco," she promised.

"Fine. I'll hold you to that," Draco said sternly.

"You do that. Say bye-bye to your baby," Ginny said grinning.

"Bye, baby," Draco cooed, leaning down to kiss Ginny's stomach. Ginny giggled.

"I meant me."

"Oh, that's right. I have two babies now. How lucky am I?" Draco teased, kissing her gently.

"Very lucky," Ginny agreed.

"How long have you been pregnant now?"

"About six weeks."

"What was six weeks ago?"

"Spackleworth's," Ginny supplied. Draco grinned, his eyes twinkling mischievously.

"Ah, yes. Spackleworth's…good times. Good times."

Ginny and Hermione were gone all day shopping for the Celebration Ball being held in honor of the Order and all those who assisted in the war effort. Since all of her brothers and her father were being given awards, she was obligated to go. But she would have gone anyway, since it was such a time of relief and celebration in the wizarding world.

The dress Ginny had selected was a satin baby doll that ended just above her knees. It was a deep emerald green with the waist cinched just below her breasts, keeping the focus off of the slight bulge at her middle. She had gotten a pair of silver high heels to go with it.

By the time Ginny and Hermione got home, the kitchen was abuzz with activity. The men of the Weasley house were scurrying around, half-dressed in tuxedos and half-dressed in casual wear. Ron had his suspenders on over a Chudley Cannons t-shirt and he wore converse sneakers on his feet.

"Ronald! You look ridiculous! Go put on your shirt and find your shoes," Molly scolded as she fussed with Fred's bowtie.

"Mum, I can't find my shirt! Malfoy must have taken it."

"Draco is not the same size as you! Go look again!" Molly replied promptly. Ron rolled his eyes and disappeared upstairs.

"Mum, where is Draco?" Ginny asked.

"Oh, Ginny! When did you girls get back?"

"Just a moment ago. Where's Draco?" Ginny asked again, scanning the sea of black and white for his familiar face.

"He's upstairs, I think. He let the boys have the bathroom first, and he helped me clean up around here." Ginny grinned to herself. Draco could be so sweet, although he would never admit it.

"Go get dressed, Ginny. We're leaving in ten minutes," Arthur said, pushing Ginny gently towards the stairs. Ginny hurried into her room and slipped into her dress. After she examined herself in the mirror and had determined that no one would notice her pregnancy, Ginny used her wand to curl her hair and add a touch of make-up. Then, she grabbed her silver purse and hurried downstairs.

Draco was standing off to the side in the kitchen, watching Molly make sure each boy looked his best. She straightened ties and clipped stray strings, reminding each of them to smile and behave. Draco sighed happily, glad to have found a family who cared so much. He glanced over his shoulder in time to see Ginny come down the stairs. He froze.

She looked beautiful. No, more than beautiful. He couldn't think of an accurate word to describe her. He just wanted to stand next to her for the rest of his life. Her gaze caught his and she smiled at him. He nearly died. She was so divine.

"Hey, you," she said, walking up to him.

"You are breathtaking," Draco said, kissing her cheek and sliding his arm around her waist. Her cheeks went slightly pink.

"You like it?"

"You're gorgeous," he told her with a smile.

"Okay, is everyone here?" Arthur called over the commotion. Molly counted heads and confirmed that everyone was present. "Everyone gather around the portkey then!" Draco led Ginny over to the portkey, unable to take his hands off her. When the family arrived at the catering hall that the Ministry had rented, they were all speechless. Famous witches and wizards were popping in from all directions and piling into the hall. Flowers were everywhere and music floated through the air. Everything radiated elation.

"Oh my god, Draco! Celestina Warbeck!" Ginny exclaimed, catching sight of her favorite singer. "I'm going to go get her autograph!" Draco laughed as she hurried off to flag down the celebrity. He seized the opportunity and tapped Arthur on the shoulder.

"Mr. Weasley? Could I ask you something?"

"Of course, my boy," Arthur said, encouragingly. "What is it?"

"It's about Ginny."

---

The Weasley's were seated at a table close to the stage where the awards would be distributed later. As soon as they reached the table, Ginny threw down her purse, kicked off her shoes and tugged Draco's sleeve.

"Come on, Draco! Let's go dance!" She exclaimed eagerly. The dance floor was already crowded with people who all seemed to be moving as one giant amoebic mass. The Weird Sisters were playing songs from their new album, which Draco happened to love. It was this, and the fact that Ginny promised to reward him later if he was a good sport that convinced him to dance.

Harry and Ron sat down at the table and watched the couple disappear into the mass of dancers. Ron curled his lip in disgust.

"It's revolting," he muttered. "That prat hasn't taken his hands off of her the entire evening."

"I know. It really is nauseating," Harry agreed. They watched as Draco spun Ginny around and lowered her into a dip. Ginny laughed and threw her arms around his neck to keep him close to her. Ron shuddered.

"That should be you, mate," Ron said.

"I know," Harry spat. "Thanks for rubbing it in."

"What should we do about it?"

"I don't know. But we had better do something fast before anything serious happens," Harry replied quietly.

"You boys look positively murderous," Bill commented, his head appearing in the space between Harry and Ron's shoulders.

"We're trying to figure out how to get rid of Malfoy," Ron said savagely. Bill sighed.

"You guys really don't get it, do you?"

"Get what?" Harry asked.

"Look at Ginny. When was the last time you saw her so happy?" Bill inquired. All three boys stared at Ginny, who was laughing again at something Draco had whispered in her ear. Ron and Harry sighed in unison. Bill nodded. "That's what I thought."

Ginny glanced around and recognized several people from Hogwarts. Then she spotted an unfortunately familiar face in the crowd. Draco saw her expression and frowned.

"What's wrong?"

"Is that Pansy?" Ginny asked, gesturing to a thin, blonde woman standing next to a stiff-looking man of about forty. Draco squinted to get a better look before nodding.

"Yeah, it looks like it."

"She doesn't look very happy," Ginny commented.

"She's probably still mad at me about leaving her at the alter," Draco said, turning his back on Pansy so she wouldn't see him. But it was too late.

"Uh oh," Ginny murmured. "She's coming this way."

"Damn it," Draco muttered. "Don't say anything. I'll handle this."

"Well, well, well," Pansy drawled. "If it isn't Draco Malfoy."

"Hello, Pansy. How are you doing?"

"Just peachy," she replied, downing the rest of her martini in a single gulp.

"You're married," Draco said as more of a statement than an inquiry. Pansy sighed and held out her hand. An obnoxious, over-sized diamond seemed to weigh down her entire hand.

"No thanks to you," she spat. "By the way, thanks for being a complete prat and leaving me at the alter."

"Can't you just get past that? You know it would have made both of us miserable," Draco pointed out.

"Perhaps. Besides, anything that's good for a Weasley must not be good enough for me," Pansy added, glaring at Ginny. Draco held Ginny defensively and glared right back at Pansy.

"I'll only warn you once, Pansy. Don't you dare say things like that about Ginny. Now, if you wouldn't mind, we were in the middle of a dance," Draco said with a finality that forced Pansy to scowl and walk away.

"Dodged that bullet," Ginny remarked.

"Just barely," Draco agreed. "Did I ever tell you how happy I am that you're not like Pansy?"

"I think it was implied," Ginny answered with a grin.

---

Kingsley Shacklebolt, newly elected Minister of Magic, instructed everyone to return to their seats for the ceremony. Ginny held Draco's hand as Kingsley announced the names of many members of the Order, including every male Weasley and Harry, to receive medals of honor.

"I'm not going to get one," Draco muttered to Ginny after Harry was presented with a special plaque.

"Yes, you are," Ginny said reassuringly. "Save the best for last."

"Oh, nonsense," Draco replied dismissively. "That's horribly untrue. I mean, come on. Potter was last, and quite frankly-"

"Shh!" Ginny whispered as the applause for Harry died down. Kingsley waited patiently for silence before he continued.

"It is my great pleasure to present the final award to a young man who has surprised us all with his bravery and intelligence. Coming from a long line of Dark Lord supporters, it was certainly a shock to see Draco Malfoy emerge as one of the heroes in this war." Kingsley trailed off, as the entire hall erupted into cheers. Ginny squeezed his hand, tears welling up in her eyes. She was so proud of him.

"Draco provided the Order with valuable information regarding the last battle of the war, without which, I do not think we would all be sitting here today. As we begin this new era together, I know we can expect great things from Draco Malfoy." Kingsley motioned for Draco to come up onto the stage. Ginny kissed his cheek and pushed him towards the platform. When the medal had been placed around his neck, Draco leaned towards Kingsley and whispered something. Kingsley nodded and stepped back. Ginny stared at Draco questioningly, but he only smiled at her before he spoke.

"It's been said that behind every great man is an equally talented woman. For me, that woman is Ginny Weasley." Every eye turned to look at Ginny. She felt her face flush immediately. Draco gestured for her to join him on the stage. Ginny was about to shake her head no when she glanced at her parents. Her father was nodding her on, and her mother was crying, but smiling.

Slowly, Ginny rose out of her seat and walked up the stairs to join Draco at the center of attention. The hall was silent as everyone awaited Draco's next move. He took Ginny's hands and addressed the congregation.

"Ginny has completely changed my life for the better. I owe her everything. Without her, I wouldn't have been receiving this award tonight. With all that said, Ginny Weasley," Draco began, lowering onto one knee. "Would you do me the honor of marrying me?" Several gasps and "aw's" were heard from the audience. Otherwise, everyone was silent, waiting for Ginny's response.

Ginny looked down into his sincere blue-gray eyes and knew that there could be no other answer. She smiled as her eyes filled with tears.

"Yes," she whispered. "Of course, I'll marry you, Draco." Draco grinned and jumped to his feet, pulling her into an embrace. The crowd exploded into deafening applause. Draco kissed Ginny fervently.

"Ginny, I love you."

"I love you too, Draco."

---

Molly organized a bridal shower for the following weekend. The Order was invited, as well as several former Hogwarts students who had remained in touch with Ginny and Draco throughout the years. Later in the evening, Hermione picked up two glasses of champagne and handed one to Ginny.

"You haven't had a drink all night, Ginny. Take a break," Hermione advised. Ginny bit her lip and looked down at the drink.

"I can't," Ginny replied quietly. Hermione looked at her questioningly at first. Then a wave of realization rushed over her.

"Oh! Ginny, oh my god!" She exclaimed breathlessly. Ginny grabbed Hermione by the wrist and dragged her away from the party.

"Ginny, I didn't know!" Hermione whispered. "How long has it been?"

"About seven weeks. You can't tell anyone. I haven't even told my parents yet."

"Well, Ginny. They're going to notice eventually," Hermione pointed out with a grin. Ginny rolled her eyes.

"Well, obviously. I'm going to tell them tonight after the party. They should be in good spirits."

"I don't think it matters too much, Ginny. They love you. They'll be happy for you, just like I am."

"Thanks, Hermione. Uh oh. Fred and George have been hanging around Draco for a while. I'd better go see what they've done to him." Hermione laughed as Ginny excused herself. As she got closer, she was shocked to hear that the boys weren't torturing her fiancé.

"I never though of that," Fred was saying.

"Yeah, you should definitely be a professional coach," George added.

"Thanks, guys. But I don't know if I'm cut out for it-"

"Take it from seasoned Beaters like us," Fred began.

"With ideas like yours, you could take the Quidditch universe by storm," George finished before the twins both walked away.

"Wow. You guys seem to be getting along great," Ginny commented.

"Yes, well, I seem to have earned their respect."

"Look, I'm going to tell my parents about the baby tonight when everyone leaves. Do you want to be there with me?"

"Of course I do."

"Okay. Come find me when the party is over."

"All right. And Ginny," Draco took her hand and kissed her cheek. "It'll be okay."

When the last of the guests had apparated and the Weasley children had gone upstairs to get ready for bed, Draco and Ginny lingered behind at the foot of the stairs. Arthur and Molly were seated at the kitchen table, drying silverware that had recently been washed.

"Draco, I can't do this. We'll have to tell them another time-" Ginny muttered, starting up the stairs. Draco stood in her way, blocking her escape.

"Come on, Ginny. It's going to be all right. They have no reason to object. Especially now that we're going to be married." Ginny sighed in defeat.

"Oh, all right," she grumbled. "Let's go." She walked determinedly into the kitchen before she could change her mind again. Molly and Arthur looked up from the silver and smiled at the couple.

"Did you two enjoy your party?" Molly asked hopefully.

"Yes, Mum, it was great," Ginny replied nervously.

"It really was. Thank you so much for putting it together for us," Draco embellished. Molly nodded proudly.

"Mum, we have something to tell you," Ginny began softly. Molly frowned and exchanged worried glances with Arthur.

"What is it, dear?" She encouraged. Ginny sighed and took Draco's hand.

"Draco and I…we're going to have a baby." The kitchen was completely silent for what seemed like an eternity. Molly put her hand over her mouth as her eyes welled up with tears. It was Arthur who managed to speak first.

"Ginny…that's wonderful!" He exclaimed, getting to his feet and embracing his daughter. "Draco, congratulations." He pumped Draco's hand enthusiastically.

"Thanks, Mr. Weasley," Draco replied grinning.

"Oh, please. Start calling me Dad," Arthur insisted. "Molly, dear, don't you have anything to say?" Molly was crying freely now, wiping her tears with her apron.

"Mum, I'm sorry. Are you all right?" Ginny asked with concern. Molly shook her head.

"I'm just so happy," she cried, hugging Ginny suddenly. Draco sighed with relief and caught Ginny's eyes. He nodded in reassurance and she smiled back.

---

Ginny stepped through the fireplace and into the familiar sitting room. A rush of memories flooded her mind as she glanced around, remembering her first moments in this house. Draco followed behind her, carrying the luggage.

"Home sweet home," he said, dropping the heavy bags onto the floor. Crang suddenly appeared, looking very excited.

"Master Draco has returned!" Crang exclaimed giddily.

"Would you take our bags upstairs, Crang?" Draco requested politely. Crang scurried over to the pile eagerly.

"Crang would be honored, sir."

"All right, but take it easy, Crang. Don't throw out your back like last time," Draco called after the little house elf. He looked for Ginny, but she had already moved into the foyer. She glanced at the familiar walls and floors of the Manor, recalling how she had scrubbed them many times.

"Ginny?" A female voice called in shock.

"Greta!" Ginny squealed, running across the foyer to greet her old friend. "Greta, how are you?"

"I'm just fine, but I want to hear about you! You run off with Master Draco and no one ever sees you again! The next thing I know, You-Know-Who is dead, and the whole world is celebrating!" Greta exclaimed. Ginny nodded.

"And one more thing," Ginny added, holding out her left hand. Greta gasped when she saw the engagement ring.

"You and Master Draco are getting married?" She cried in disbelief.

"I can hardly believe it myself," Ginny replied, looking over her shoulder at Draco, who was watching her with a smile.

"And Ginny…you look big," Greta said, catching sight of the swell at Ginny's middle. Ginny placed her hand delicately on her stomach and beamed.

"I'm pregnant." Greta cried out in excitement and hugged Ginny.

"Finally, we'll all have something to do around here."

"What do you mean?"

"With the Lord and Lady of the house gone, the servants don't know what to do with themselves. We've been running everything ourselves for a few months now. They'll be so happy to hear that they have new heads of house to serve."

"Ginny, dear? Why don't we unpack?" Draco suggested.

"All right," Ginny agreed. She hugged Greta again and smiled. "I'm so happy to see you again. I'll make sure the servants are treated fairly." Greta thanked her and hurried off to tell the others that Draco and Ginny had returned. Ginny joined Draco and he helped her up the stairs.

"I just want to have the baby now," Ginny groaned when they had reached the top of the stairs.

"Just a few more months, my darling," Draco said soothingly. "Lie down. I'll start unpacking." Ginny collapsed onto the bed, thoroughly exhausted.

"Your interview is tomorrow," Ginny reminded him.

"I know."

"Are you nervous?"

"Nervous?" Draco scoffed. "Malfoys don't get nervous."

"You mean you weren't the slightest bit nervous when you asked my father permission to marry me?"

"All right, fine," Draco admitted grudgingly. "We get nervous sometimes."

"Don't be nervous. You know you're going to get it."

"Ginny, coaching the Chudley Cannons is an elite position. Only the best of the best are even considered."

"Then it's a good thing that you are the best of the best," Ginny insisted. Draco sighed and sat down on the bed next to her.

"I really love Quidditch, Ginny. If I can't get this job, I'm not sure what else I can do with my life."

"You're going to get this job. But if you don't, you could work at Gringotts with Bill. Or with Charlie in Romania. I'm sure Fred and George would love to have you work at the joke shop. You have connections, Draco. If one plan falls through, you have a family to support you while you figure out what your next move is." Draco touched Ginny's stomach reverently.

"I just want to make our baby proud."

"You will, Draco," Ginny said, taking his hand. "You will."

---

"Greta, this tea is wonderful," Ginny said, leaning back into the soft cushions of the couch. Greta smiled.

"I added a special herb that is supposed to take care of your nausea."

"I feel better already," Ginny replied honestly. "I'm just so worried about Draco. He went for his interview at one o'clock and it's almost time for dinner. I'm not sure if that's a good sign or a bad sign."

"I raised the boy from infancy. He has always been coming up with plays and strategies for Quidditch. There is no one with more talent and vision than Draco."

"Thanks, Greta. That makes me feel a little better." Ginny sighed nervously. Suddenly, a soft pop echoed in the foyer. Greta excused herself and slipped out of the room. Ginny rose from her seat in time to see Draco pause in the doorway. He looked tired and his tie was undone. Ginny didn't speak, waiting for Draco to say something.

"I got it," he finally said quietly. Ginny squealed excitedly and started towards him. He ran to her and embraced her tightly. "Thank you," he whispered.

"For what?" Ginny asked in confusion.

"Believing in me," Draco replied. Ginny smiled and caressed his cheek.

"You make me so proud."

"I hope so. That's all I want to do."


	13. Epilogue

A/N: Thanks again for your reviews. I hope you enjoyed it!

Epilogue

Five Years Later

"Tristan! Come on, it's time for bed!" Ginny called from the back porch. Tristan was playing with Greta in the gardens. When she called for him, Tristan ran to her and hugged Ginny around her knees. He was blonde, just like his father, with the same blue-gray eyes. But he had Ginny's smile and her light dusting of freckles across his nose.

"Can't I stay up until Daddy gets home?" Tristan pleaded. Ginny felt herself melting to his request. She picked him up and balanced him on her hip as she walked back inside.

"All right, Tristan. But go upstairs, brush your teeth and get into your pajamas first." Ginny put Tristan down, and he scampered away. Greta touched Ginny on the shoulder.

"He's a wonderful boy, Ginny. You are so blessed."

"I know, Greta. Go keep an eye on him, please," Ginny said.

"My pleasure, Ginny," Greta replied, heading up the stairs. Suddenly, Draco arrived, announced by a soft pop. Ginny smiled.

"Why, hello, Mr. Malfoy," she said, taking his coat.

"Sorry I'm late, Mrs. Malfoy," Draco replied, kissing her. "Your brother stopped by to meet the new team today."

"Which brother? I have quite a few of those," Ginny asked.

"Ron."

"He's been your biggest fan now that you've been coaching his favorite Quidditch team."

"How was your day?" Draco asked.

"I filled in for Professor Flitwick today. McGonagall told me that when I'm ready, I can fill the position permanently."

"That's great, sweetheart," Draco said, kissing her.

"Daddy's home!" Tristan shouted excitedly. He hurried down the stairs, much to Ginny's dismay.

"Tristan! Please don't run down the stairs!"

"Sorry, Mummy!" Tristan replied, throwing himself at his father. Draco picked him up and slung him over his shoulder.

"Greta, where is Grace?" Ginny asked.

"Still at her piano lesson," Greta replied. "She should be home any minute now." As if on cue, the front door opened and in walked Grace, escorted by her piano teacher.

"Daddy!" She squealed, running into his arms. Draco was now holding both of his children in a picture perfect pose.

"Thank you for bringing her home, Ms. Lemon," Ginny said to the piano teacher, giving her an envelope containing her payment.

"It was no trouble at all. Gracie is a quick study."

"Thanks again. We'll see you next week," Ginny said, waving as Ms. Lemon apparated away. She turned to look at her husband, who was still covered in children. Ginny should have expected twins. They did run in her family, of course. But she barely believed the Healer who told her. She didn't know how to feel about it at first. But as soon as they were born, Tristan first, Grace second, she knew that it was a blessing. Tristan and Grace looked exactly the same, except Grace had her mother's brown eyes.

"All right, Tristan. I said you could stay up until Daddy gets home. Now it's time for bed. You too, Gracie." Simultaneously, Tristan and Grace began to whine and complain.

"Kids, you heard your mother," Draco said, setting them down on the floor. "It's bed time."

"Can you read me a story, Daddy?" Grace asked, tugging on Draco's pant leg.

"Yes, Gracie. Just one, though. It's already late."

"Mommy, I want a story too," Tristan said looking at Ginny.

"All right, Tristan. Go pick one out, and I'll be right up." Tristan took Grace by the hand and the two of them hurried up the stairs. Draco slid his arm around Ginny's waist and kissed her cheek.

"They're good kids."

"Yes, they are."

"I have a surprise for you when you're done reading to Tristan."

"Oh, really?" Ginny raised an eyebrow. "What is it?"

"It's a surprise. But you'll love it."

"I can't wait." Ginny went upstairs and read to Tristan, and Draco read to Grace. Grace was asleep in his arms before he had finished the book. He carefully picked her up and laid her down in her bed. He pulled the covers up around her and kissed her forehead.

"I love you, Gracie," he whispered. Draco quietly shut her door and went to say good night to Tristan. Ginny was on her way out.

"Meet me in on the third floor," Draco said as they passed.

"What's on the third floor?"

"You'll see."

After Ginny said good night to Grace, she made her way up the stairs to the third floor. A path she had taken many times several years ago. There was no sight of Draco, so she wandered aimlessly down to the string hanging from the ceiling that she used to pull to get to the attic. She sighed, thinking about how drastically her life had changed since then.

"Hey, love," Draco called to her. Ginny turned around and smiled. Draco was standing in the doorway of a bedroom, his black dress pants still on but his white shirt was unbuttoned, revealing his toned abdomen. "Come on." He disappeared and Ginny paused before following. She stopped when she got to the doorway. Small tea candles were lit and leading to the window, which was open. Ginny followed the trail of candles to the window and climbed out. She climbed up the ivy rack to the roof and saw Draco sitting at the top with a bottle of champagne and a bouquet of roses.

"Draco, you're crazy," Ginny said, unable to hide her smile.

"Crazy about you. Come up here. Have some champagne."

"What are we celebrating?" Ginny asked, sitting down beside him.

"Today was your first day on the job at the Malfoy Manor all those years ago. If you had not taken that job, we would not be here tonight."

"You are so sweet."

"You are so beautiful," Draco countered, putting his arm around her shoulders.

"What about the kids? What if Gracie wakes up with another nightmare?"

"She'll be fine. Greta is keeping an eye on them."

"I'm so happy, Draco. I never thought I could be this happy."

"Me either."

"I can't believe we ended up together. It was the last thing everyone expected."

"It was the last thing I expected," Draco agreed. "But it's probably the best thing that's ever happened to me." Ginny kissed him tenderly and took a sip of champagne.

"This champagne is great. Where did you-"

"Shh," Draco silenced her gently. "Look. This is what I really wanted you to see." He pointed to the sky. The last sliver of the sun slipped beneath the horizon, and the sky changed from orange, to pink, to purple, to dark blue.


End file.
